pedigree

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noun ped·i·gree \ˈpe-də-ˌgrē\

Definition of pedigree

1 : a register recording a line of ancestors The pedigree traces the family back to the 18th century.
2a : 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
3a : a distinguished ancestry actions spoke louder than pedigrees in the trenches — Dixon Wecterb : the recorded purity of breed of an individual or strain vouch for a horse's pedigree

pedigreed

play \ˈpe-də-ˌgrēd\ or

pedigree

adjective

See pedigree defined for English-language learners

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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

The two actors have a bit in common in real life, from their sitcom pedigrees to their deep experience in stand-up comedy.

— zach schonfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, "'The Big Sick': Kumail Nanjiani and Ray Romano on Playing Future In-Laws and Bombing Live," 14 July 2017
The 6-3 Washington showed his pedigree as a scorer and 3-point shooter for the Junior All-Star team.

— kyle neddenriep, The Courier-Journal, "Insider: 2018 Indiana high school basketball player rankings," 2 July 2017
Whatever her musical pedigree, Morissette has inarguably marked the arrival to the mass-market of an entirely new female-rocker persona.

— kim france, Daily Intelligencer, "Feminism Rocks," 30 June 2017
From Lost to The Leftovers, Lindelof has an impressive pedigree for prestige television.

— matt miller, Esquire, "There Might Finally Be a Watchmen Adaptation That Doesn't Suck," 21 June 2017
Even in its early demo version, this game already struggles to split the difference between tactical games' depth and these mascots' kid-friendly pedigree.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle," 16 June 2017
Indeed, RCN is touting the show’s entertainment, not educational, pedigree.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Colombian telenovela has passion, drama — and a million bucks from U.S. government," 13 June 2017
Winvian Farm is a 113-acre resort of Relais & Chateaux pedigree that shows a bucolic side of Connecticut.

— paul rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Perfect New England Summer Road Trip," 12 June 2017
Whatever the case, there’s a bumper crop of wagons this year, highlighted by a pair of head-turners with premium pedigrees, the Buick Regal Tour X and the Volvo V90 .

— josh sadlier, The Seattle Times, "Edmunds: SUVs didn’t kill off the wagon after all," 9 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

PEDIGREE Defined for English Language Learners

pedigree

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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