pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈpe-də-ˌgrē 

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

pedigreed

ˈpe-də-ˌgrēd 

adjective

or pedigree

Synonyms

• ancestry
• birth
• blood
• bloodline
• breeding
• descent
• extraction
• family tree
• genealogy
• line
• lineage
• origin
• parentage
• stock
• strain

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 on the Web

He’s also got a star with a remarkable rock pedigree in Eve Hewson, the daughter of U2 frontman Bono. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023

In many major industries, skills are becoming more valuable than pedigree—and anyone can learn. —Byjane Thier, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2023

Reed tried to forge a bond between her and Brigid Berlin, given the latter’s upscale pedigree. —Will Hermes, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023

Soon after taking over as attorney general, Paxton fired high-ranking employees and replaced them with aides with far-right pedigrees. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2023

There have been other big wins for the Jaguars through years — Louisiana in 2013, San Diego State in 2016, Troy in 2017 and Southern Miss last year come to mind — but never has South Alabama so thoroughly whipped a team of the Cowboys’ pedigree. —Creg Stephenson | [e-mail], al, 17 Sep. 2023

The anomaly of his success, posthumous and otherwise, goes against the orthodoxy of artists whose formal training is a critical part of their pedigree; and his struggle with mental illness is often obscured by the dollar figures his work now commands. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023

In the Ralph Lauren area, customers were surrounded with stacks of brightly colored polo shirts, broad neckties, and natty blazers that evoked, but didn’t require, pedigree. —Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, The New Republic, 14 Aug. 2023

The trend is based on material, but the truth is: pedigree is most advertised by manners. —Isiah Magsino, Town & Country, 3 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈped-ə-ˌgrē 

1

: a table or list showing the line of ancestors of a person or animal

2

: an ancestral line : lineage

3

: purity of breed recorded by a pedigree

pedigreed

-ˌgrēd 

adjective

Medical Definition

pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈped-ə-ˌgrē 

: a record of the ancestry of an individual

the pedigree of a diabetic patient