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
Dixon Wecter
b
: the recorded purity of breed of an individual or strain
vouch for a horse's pedigree
Synonyms
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
Richardson is an aggressive tackler with a special-teams pedigree, but features limited agility and cover talent.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
With its long pedigree — the distillery was founded in 1825 — and its seafront location on Islay, a place of pilgrimage for maltheads the world over, Port Ellen is a celebrated member of whisky’s ghost club.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
His pedigree was sterling: a Stanford psychology Ph.D., tenure track at Harvard, visiting professorship at Berkeley.
—Christopher Fiorello, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
Boise State signed transfers Chris Marshall and Cam Camper, both of whom come with impressive pedigrees.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2024
That pedigree may be why UConn is a small favorite tonight though USC is top seeded.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
But hiring a coveted coach with basketball pedigree and Southern California ties such as Musselman is a major coup at such a late juncture in the offseason carousel.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Then three transfer targets picked schools with less winning pedigree but significantly more NIL money.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The signature burgers start out with some pedigree.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
With its long pedigree — the distillery was founded in 1825 — and its seafront location on Islay, a place of pilgrimage for maltheads the world over, Port Ellen is a celebrated member of whisky’s ghost club.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
His pedigree was sterling: a Stanford psychology Ph.D., tenure track at Harvard, visiting professorship at Berkeley.
—Christopher Fiorello, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
Boise State signed transfers Chris Marshall and Cam Camper, both of whom come with impressive pedigrees.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2024
That pedigree may be why UConn is a small favorite tonight though USC is top seeded.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
But hiring a coveted coach with basketball pedigree and Southern California ties such as Musselman is a major coup at such a late juncture in the offseason carousel.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Then three transfer targets picked schools with less winning pedigree but significantly more NIL money.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
The signature burgers start out with some pedigree.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pedigree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pedigree
Cite this Entry
“Pedigree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedigree. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Medical Definition
pedigree
noun
ped·i·gree
ˈped-ə-ˌgrē
: a record of the ancestry of an individual
the pedigree of a diabetic patient
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