pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈpe-də-ˌgrē 

1

: a register recording a line of ancestors

The pedigree traces the family back to the 18th century.

2

a

: an ancestral line : lineage

That horse has an impressive pedigree.

b

: the origin and the history of something

Democracy's pedigree stretches back to ancient Greece.

broadly : background, history

3

a

: a distinguished ancestry

actions spoke louder than pedigrees in the trenches

—Dixon Wecter

b

: the recorded purity of breed of an individual or strain

vouch for a horse's pedigree

pedigreed

ˈpe-də-ˌgrēd 

adjective

or pedigree

Synonyms

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

Examples of pedigree in a Sentence

That horse has an impressive pedigree.

What is the dog's pedigree?

The puppy came with papers proving its pedigree.

Democracy is an idea with a pedigree stretching back to ancient Greece.

The company has an excellent pedigree with over a century in the business.

Recent Examples on the Web

With that said, an exception should be made here given Yates' pedigree as a closer. —David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024

Barring a drastic turnaround over the next few months, he's done nothing to justify anything close to a max salary, but his draft pedigree might complicate extension talks. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Through flood, earthquake, and subsidence, the Goose was coddled like a pedigree bird at a cost of US$1 million a year until Hughes died in 1976 after years of decline into Las Vegas penthouse seclusion and bizarre eccentricity. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 25 Dec. 2024

The question is whether the pedigree that Sauer lays out will prove less discomfiting. —Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pedegru, from Anglo-French pé de grue, literally, crane's foot; from the shape made by the lines of a genealogical chart

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈped-ə-ˌgrē 

1

: a table or list showing the line of ancestors of a person or animal

2

: an ancestral line : lineage

3

: purity of breed recorded by a pedigree

pedigreed

-ˌgrēd 

adjective

Medical Definition

pedigree

noun

ped·​i·​gree ˈped-ə-ˌgrē 

: a record of the ancestry of an individual

the pedigree of a diabetic patient