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

Don Jose, a perfect example that for Latinos rooted in ancestral Mesoamerican and Afro-descendant mutual aid customs, helping is not a choice. — Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026 The descendant, or seventh house of intimacy, is the opposite sign of the ascendant, which describes our ideal mate. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026

Noun

After a complicated journey, the paintings were sold to the museum by a Stroganoff family descendant. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Dewey, a descendant of the family, owned the three portraits of Anna, Roderick, and Sophia, while another relative owned then later sold the portraits of the sons. — Kimberly Phillips, Hartford Courant, 19 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

The 2028 deadline puts a central concession to protesters beyond President Emmanuel Macron’s time in office, leaving his successor’s government to deliver it.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Marshall emerged as the successor to Jalon Daniels during the preseason and has shown flashes of his upside and potential.

— Steven Johnson October 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 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

Ella Bleu Travolta, John’s daughter, walked the Miu Miu show, and Apple Martin, offspring of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, debuted on the runway for Chloé after fronting one of its campaigns.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Researchers collect the parents' DNA since their offspring are fragile when young.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 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

Its spacious third row remains a particularly compelling advantage for families who regularly transport several adults or older children.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
People with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, young children and anyone 65 or older are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, and Turner urged anyone fitting those categories to take extra precautions this season.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of child

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Style

“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descendant. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of descendant

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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