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

• lineage
• ancestry
• genealogy
• breeding
• origin

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

So how does someone with Cryer’s pedigree, and the intangibles that have endeared him to the older Warriors players not even get an invitation to the G League combine? —Nick Friedell, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

The home sits on a street lined with stately palazzos once owned by Tuscan nobility—and this one has quite the pedigree. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025

The project’s prestigious pedigree allowed the producers to be strategic about which partners to invite, rather than having to convince reluctant financiers. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025

The film looks like a million bucks, has a high pedigree of talent, and mistakes constant poking for conversation, endless buzzwords for a buffet of food for thought, incendiary hypotheticals for insight. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025

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