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

The Park Theatre has an historic pedigree after opening on Cambie Street in 1941 with a double bill of Model Wife, starring Joan Blondell and Dick Powell, and The Flame of New Orleans, starring Marlene Dietrech. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

Boscagli can especially put the pair under pressure, considering the 27-year-old Frenchman’s experience and Champions League pedigree with former club PSV. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

In fact, restriction and obstruction of aid has a long pedigree in Israel’s engagement with Gaza, dating back to the looser long-term siege that Israel imposed on the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. —Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2025

Certain men who look a certain way and have a certain pedigree can behave imperfectly, to say the least, and still be confirmed into a position of power that has long-reaching consequences. —Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 20 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