ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌse-strē 

1

: line of descent : lineage

especially : honorable, noble, or aristocratic descent

2

: persons initiating or comprising a line of descent : ancestors

Synonyms

• birth
• blood
• bloodline
• breeding
• descent
• extraction
• family tree
• genealogy
• line
• lineage
• origin
• parentage
• pedigree
• stock
• strain

Examples of ancestry in a Sentence

They claim to be of noble ancestry.

a person of unknown ancestry

She claims to be able to trace her ancestry all the way back to the earliest settlers.

Recent Examples on the Web

There were zero traces of Mexican ancestry in Werts' analysis. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025

But the combination of executive orders, laws and military commands were indiscriminate and their brunt fell upon innocent Japanese Americans, who were forced into concentration camps without regard for their loyalty, only their ancestry. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024

The individuals living at Ranis had 2.9% Neanderthal ancestry, not dissimilar to most people today, the Nature study found. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024

Radiocarbon dating of bone fragments from Ranis, Germany, were shown to have 2.9% Neanderthal ancestry, which the authors believe occurred from a single mixing event common among all non-African individuals. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌses-trē 

1

: line of descent

2

: one's ancestors