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

With this new evidence, the research team now has a better understanding of what this society was like: a society with a deep respect for its ancestry and its leaders. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025

Many Argentine people have Spanish, Italian and German ancestry. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025

The rising French actor, who was named on Wednesday as Berluti’s new brand ambassador for 2025, is the grandson of New Wave icon Jean-Paul Belmondo and has both French and Italian ancestry. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025

Likewise, Italy has long been the top dream destination for Americans, but many who have Italian ancestry trace their roots to Sicily, which while popular, has always been harder to reach than Rome or Milan. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

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