ancestry

noun

ˈan-ˌse-strē How to pronounce ancestry (audio)
Definition of ancestrynext
as in lineage
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended a Cambodian immigrant who can trace her Khmer ancestry as far back as the 16th century

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ancestry Defense attorney Phil Barber said the findings could rule out certain individuals as contributors and may provide ancestry information, although the test cannot differentiate between men who share the same paternal ancestors. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Black women are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, and people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have a higher likelihood of carrying BRCA mutations. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 Three years later, Harvard is still giving another group a preference based on ancestry. — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 Theroux’s Canadian odyssey begins on a personal note, with a history of his French Canadian ancestry. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestry
  1. lineage
  2. genealogy
  3. origin
  4. pedigree
  5. descent
  6. family
  7. breeding
Noun
  • Reconciling competing visions of reality depends on continuously normalizing disparate vendor inputs into a unified GTM data model, scoring source reliability, assessing recency and maintaining complete lineage tracking.
    — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • As ecologist Doug Tallamy has chronicled, over 90% of herbivorous insects specialize on one or a few native plant lineages.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of lineage
Noun
  • The forensic department at Oklahoma State University then took over genealogy profiling, according to Rouse.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Lichtman's discovery highlights the role of JewishGen, one of the world's largest online resources for Jewish genealogy.
    — Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of genealogy
Noun
  • However, researchers could not determine the exact origins of the particles.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Previous work in South Florida suggests that coral performance depends on geographic origin and environmental conditions.
    — Steven Vollmer, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of origin
Noun
  • Riggle, meanwhile, has played a character like this (albeit not one with Saint Nick’s pedigree) a few dozen times already, so his comic contributions are reliable if not terribly fresh.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Casey is valuable not for her (mixed) pedigree, we’re meant to understand, but because Harley loved her.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of pedigree
Noun
  • After completing its descent sequence, the booster touched down on the platform.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • First flight of the heavier CZ-10 with an uncrewed Lanyue lander performing a lunar descent and ascent test, exercising the lander’s propulsion and guidance.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of descent
Noun
  • That cute little feral furball was mean as hell and bit, scratched, and ultimately abandoned the family.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Data brokers collect and sell details such as your email address, phone number and information about your family.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • Scientists inserted genes associated with Alzheimer’s into mouse genomes, breeding animals that had high levels of amyloid in their brains; the mice then began to struggle with spatial navigation.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Deer breeding behavior, known as the rut, aligns with the changing length of daylight.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of breeding

Browse Nearby Words

ancestries
ancestry
anchor
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Cite this Entry

“Ancestry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestry. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ancestry

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