pedigree

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 Wecter

b : the recorded purity of breed of an individual or strain vouch for a horse's pedigree

Other Words from pedigree Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pedigree

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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 on the Web

The new lineup of MacBooks haven’t lived up to the Air’s pedigree. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "The stakes for the new MacBook are much higher than for the iPad," 30 Oct. 2018 Culp had the kind of successful industrial pedigree that investors, including Trian, wanted steering the board. — Thomas Gryta And Ted Mann, WSJ, "GE Powered the American Century—Then It Burned Out," 14 Dec. 2018 That’s not a lot of time regardless of Bell’s pedigree. — Will Graves, The Seattle Times, "Steelers RB Bell a no-show as opener vs. Browns looms," 3 Sep. 2018 Of course, there were plenty of historical automotive activities throughout the week: sister shows at the Quail, the Concorso Italiano, and the more pedestrian Concours d’Lemons catered to cars of less fanciful pedigree. — Tamara Warren, The Verge, "Monterey Car Week is where the past and future of automobiles collide," 29 Aug. 2018 Finally, Lincoln’s onetime deputy private secretary John Hay, by then the U.S. Secretary of State, brought the decision-makers to their senses with his powerful testimony and professional pedigree. — Harold Holzer, WSJ, "An American Icon That Almost Wasn’t," 15 Feb. 2019 With the 49ers being picked by many experts as a playoff contender, the team is faced with handing Beathard the reigns or turning to a quarterback who has a winning pedigree in San Francisco. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Colin Kaepernick comeback campaign undertaken by 49ers fans after gruesome Garoppolo injury," 24 Sep. 2018 Why Verge readers might care: The film has a pretty impressive pedigree. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "The Verge fall movie preview, November 2018," 6 Sep. 2018 Again, using street muscle to squash opponents is nothing new in Indian politics, just as the BJP’s thinly disguised efforts, in recent elections across the country, to whip up prejudice against the Muslim minority have a pedigree. — The Economist, "People in India often despair of their democracy," 31 May 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.