Definition of SCION

Get Familial With Scion

Scion derives from the Middle English sioun and Old French cion and is related to the Old English cīth and the Old High German kīdi (meaning "sprout" or "shoot"). When it first sprouted in English in the 14th century, scion meant "a shoot or twig." That sense withered in horticultural contexts, but the word branched out, adding the grafting-related meaning we know today. A figurative sense also blossomed referring to one's descendants, with particular reference to those who are descendants of notable families.

Examples of scion in a Sentence

He's a scion of a powerful family.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 47-year-old media scion, best known for being Rupert Murdoch’s son, is finally inheriting the mantle of chief executive of the family business. — Sarah Ellison, The Seattle Times, "Younger Murdoch take the reins. How will he deal with Trump?," 25 Mar. 2019 The knuckle-size pear-cut diamond was bequeathed to her husband, the Texas energy scion Michael Herd, by his grandmother on the condition his bride never take it off. — Chloe Malle, Vogue, "Inside Dating-App Bumble’s Bid For Global Domination," 18 Apr. 2019 Neither have spoken publicly about their relationship, and little has been written about the Nigerian scion. — Rose Minutaglio, Town & Country, "Inside Tiffany Trump's Relationship with New Boyfriend Michael Boulos," 18 Mar. 2019 The setback to the BJP is expected to revive the political fortunes of the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi, the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, who took over as party president from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, a year ago. — Ashok Sharma, The Seattle Times, "Indian Prime Minister Modi’s party loses key state elections," 11 Dec. 2018 Her mother-in-law was a Deutsch-de-la-Meurthe, the family that had brought gasoline pumps to France; her second husband was Alec Weisweiller, the scion of a prominent banking family related to the Rothschilds. — James Mcauley, Town & Country, "The Tragic, Fascinating History of Santo Sospir," 13 Aug. 2018 Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, accused the government of creating only 400,000 new jobs against the 20 million promised in a year. — Ashok Sharma, Fox News, "Parliament debates no-confidence motion against Modi's gov't," 20 July 2018 The journalist John Dickerson is a Washington creature to his core: a presidential historian, repository of political trivia and scion of a glamorous Beltway family whose party guests regularly included Kennedys, Johnsons and Reagans. — Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, "John Dickerson to Replace Charlie Rose on ‘CBS This Morning’," 9 Jan. 2018 The American-educated entrepreneur and the scion of a prominent royal family will be the first Saudi woman to head a diplomatic mission. ... — Jared Malsin, WSJ, "Saudi Arabia Names Princess as New U.S. Ambassador," 24 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.