pedigree

noun ped·i·gree \ ˈpe-də-ˌgrē \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Examples: pedigree in a Sentence

Definition of pedigree

1 : a register recording a line of ancestors

The pedigree traces the family back to the 18th century.

2 a : an ancestral line : lineage

That horse has an impressive pedigree.

b : the origin and the history of something

Democracy's pedigree stretches back to ancient Greece.

; broadly : background, history

3 a : a distinguished ancestry

actions spoke louder than pedigrees in the trenches
—Dixon Wecter

b : the recorded purity of breed of an individual or strain

vouch for a horse's pedigree

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pedigreed

play \ˈpe-də-ˌgrēd\ or pedigree adjective

See pedigree defined for English-language learners

See pedigree defined for kids

Examples of pedigree in a Sentence

That horse has an impressive pedigree.
What is the dog's pedigree?
The puppy came with papers proving its pedigree.
Democracy is an idea with a pedigree stretching back to ancient Greece.
The company has an excellent pedigree with over a century in the business.

Recent Examples of pedigree from the Web

Stoke are definitely one of the favourites to gain promotion, purely due to the pedigree of their side and new manager Gary Rowett.

— SI.com, "Why Peter Crouch May be Right to Stay at Stoke City," 8 July 2018
Both O'Reilly and Montgomery said the winning pedigree and track record of sending players onto the NHL, not to mention Montgomery's open and direct coaching style, are what drew the player to Denver.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "From Southlake to the NHL: A local hockey prospect hopes to make that a reality this week," 21 June 2018
Few nations boast the soccer pedigree of the Dutch.

— jim reineking, USA TODAY, "FIFA World Cup 2018: Notable teams that failed to qualify," 11 June 2018
The company’s sales pitch has raised eyebrows among outside experts — especially considering the pedigree of its advisers and their history of speaking out against the hype that pervades the stem cell field.

— andrew joseph, STAT, "Stem cell bank opens with backing from leading scientists. Is it worth the money?," 31 May 2018
Another aspect of their game that intrigues Bokamper: The pedigree of their college careers.

— jordan mcpherson, miamiherald, "Here's why one former Dolphins Pro Bowler thinks highly of Miami's latest draft class | Miami Herald," 18 May 2018
From the pedigree of coach Brad Stevens, to the emergence of Tatum and Rozier, to the glue role Al Horford has played in holding Boston together, the Cavs view the Celtics as a really, really good team.

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "From thrown soup to broken legs, Cavaliers and Celtics survived and thrived in chaos to reach Eastern finals," 13 May 2018
The idea that James wanted to be associated with the franchise of the Lakers’ pedigree is also questionable.

— dylan hernandez, latimes.com, "On the Lakers’ road back to greatness with LeBron, the hardest steps may still lie ahead," 12 July 2018
People of this pedigree often live in a world that does not necessarily parallel the life experiences of most Americans.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "The ‘cloistered’ Harvard-Yale law monopoly on the Supreme Court," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pedigree.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pedigree

Middle English pedegru, from Anglo-French pé de grue, literally, crane's foot; from the shape made by the lines of a genealogical chart

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

pedigree Synonyms

Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

PEDIGREE Defined for English Language Learners

pedigree

noun

Definition of pedigree for English Language Learners

: the history of the family members in a person's or animal's past especially when it is good or impressive
: the origin and history of something especially when it is good or impressive