lineal

adjective

lin·​e·​al ˈli-nē-əl 

1

: linear

2

: composed of or arranged in lines

3

a

: consisting of or being in a direct male or female line of ancestry compare collateral sense 2

b

: relating to or derived from ancestors : hereditary

c

: descended in a direct line

4

a

: belonging to one lineage

lineal relatives

b

: of, relating to, or dealing with a lineage

lineality

ˌli-nē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

lineally

ˈli-nē-ə-lē 

adverb

Examples of lineal in a Sentence

He claims that he is a lineal descendent of a famous military hero.

Recent Examples on the Web

The stories are set in different years, but are not organized in a lineal manner. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2024

And then — after a world-class performance against lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and a loss against Anthony Joshua — Ngannou suffered tragedy when his 15-month-old son died in April. —Mark Puleo, The Athletic, 7 Aug. 2024

According to the official announcement, demo teams laid 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord through both the Paradise and Club Towers prior to implosion. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2024

In his professional boxing debut, Ngannou dropped Fury and lost a close decision to the lineal champion. —Brian Mazique, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lineal

adjective

lin·​eal

ˈlin-ē-əl

1

: linear

lineal measure

2

a

: consisting of or being in a direct line of descent

b

: hereditary sense 3

lineally

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

Legal Definition

lineal

adjective

lin·​e·​al ˈli-nē-əl 

: consisting of or being in a direct male or female line of ancestry

a lineal descendant

compare collateral sense 2