DESCENDENT Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

descendant 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsen-dənt

variants also descendent

Definition of descendant

as in bowing

bending downward or forward the descendant branches of a weeping willow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

descendant

2 of 2

noun

variants also descendent

as in successor

Related Words

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

Adjective

By 2024, the team had added four more descendant donors—one related to Fitzjames (technically a second cousin five times removed through the captain’s great-grandfather). — ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026 Two and a half centuries after the American colonies declared independence from Britain under King George III, his descendant King Charles III lands in Washington Monday with trans-Atlantic ties under strain and security in the spotlight. — ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026

Noun

The Roku Channel has greenlit Scarlett Holmes, a limited series that will star Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars, 2024’s F*** Marry Kill) as a descendant of Sherlock Holmes who has inherited the family’s observational powers. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 Canada would go on to work with NASA on the Canadarm robotic arm used on NASA's space shuttles, as well as the Canadarm2, its bigger descendant used on the International Space Station. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for descendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descendant

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

Definition of nodding

Noun

An official announcement naming his successor is widely expected before the end of 2026, though Amazon MGM has not confirmed a timeline.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
However, the bones may also be those of Aelfwig’s successor, Wulboth, who died in 1049 and was likely buried on the grounds as well.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of successor

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

Definition of weeping

Noun

Schubarth subsequently bred offspring of the Montana Mountain King to captive bighorn ewes on his farm west of Great Falls.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026
First elephant to be born at KC Zoo The calf will be the first offspring of parents Zuri, a 17-year-old female, and Tamani, a 21-year-old male.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of offspring

Adjective

The three-part framework is, at its core, a descending order of difficulty and an ascending order of effectiveness.

— Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
For the most part, most of them wore gowns that could fit through the revolving door at the Hotel Du Cap onto the grand descending stairway, read few came close to rivaling Skye Hankey’s boa yellow dress last year which provided an elegant challenge for exits and entrances.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 22 May 2026

Definition of descending

Noun

Otherwise, genetic defects might start to crop up among the progeny and threaten their survivability.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Others criticized them for often being the progeny of Asian mothers and white fathers, as though this were somehow their fault.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of progeny

Noun

Steve Buscemi as Harry’s regular fence; Tatiana Maslany as his estranged daughter; and Will Price as the arrogant, heat-packing scion of a Manhattan crime family also star.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
The Blackstone scion is smart and experienced enough to know the risks inherent in competing in the fraught indie marketplace.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of scion

Noun

He was sentenced to four years’ probation and initially ordered to stay away from his ex-wife and two children for six years, which was later reduced to two years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
At least one person reported that the children, ages 12 and 5, were trapped on the second floor of the home, officials said.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of child

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“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descendant. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of descendant

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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