variants
also descendent
as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the descendant branches of a weeping willow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also descendent
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 descendant
Dread Scott, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
And so first of all, as an organization called The Descendants Project, our first responsibility is to the descendant community.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Sugar was a direct descendant of Susan, the corgi a then-Princess Elizabeth received for her 18th birthday in 1944.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descendant
Adjective
The joy that African and Afro-descendant visitors described upon obtaining their All African People’s Community passport was overwhelming, and the sense of belonging to this global community was liberating.
—Dread Scott, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
And so first of all, as an organization called The Descendants Project, our first responsibility is to the descendant community.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2025
Noun
Most of us aren’t as glamorous as Burden, who is a descendant of the Vanderbilts and a granddaughter of the fashion icon Babe Paley.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Sugar was a direct descendant of Susan, the corgi a then-Princess Elizabeth received for her 18th birthday in 1944.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descendant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descendant
Noun
-
Jackson and his supporters sought to portray him as King’s natural successor in the civil rights arena.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
His successor, Nicolás Maduro, narrowly won the following month’s presidential vote in an election the opposition heavily denounced as fraudulent.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Noun
-
In real life, the rising talent is the offspring of Norwegian performers Pia Tjelta and Kyrre Haugen Sydness.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
With the siblings and in-laws and various inbred offsprings dismissed, these moors are lonelier than ever, making the action both easier to follow than in the original novel and easier to buy.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Nov. 2025
-
No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Throughout his rise to power and reign, actually, rumors constantly swirled about Hitler’s romantic partners and possible progeny.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Advocates of our robot future have similarly mundane plans for our mechanical progeny.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Noun
-
The political scion said he’s been in recovery for more than 40 years due to his struggles with drug addiction.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Yet, like Bessette’s relationship with the Kennedy family scion, her eternity band is shrouded in mystery—imperfectly recorded through rumors, second-hand accounts, and myths invented by the press and populace.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For families As mentioned, while the main property is 13 years and older, Auric House is suitable for children of all ages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
So far, its children’s hospital hasn’t admitted any measles patients, doctors said.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descendant. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
