ancestry
noun
an·ces·try
ˈan-ˌse-strē 
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
According to the San Diego Zoo, most pygmy hippos living in American zoos have ancestry that ties back to Billy, a pygmy given to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 from American tire mogul Harvey Firestone, who owned a rubber plantation in Liberia.
—
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The 17-year-old shares Yurok and Māori ancestry and grew up in Requa, one of the continent’s longest continuously inhabited communities.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
NuggetSD/Reddit Doggy DNA testing Dog DNA testing kits have become increasingly popular for pet owners, offering an at-home solution to finding out your pup's ancestry, with some people even holding DNA reveal parties for their pets.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
That has led to debate over whether the child belonged to Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or even a hybrid with Denisovan ancestry.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestry
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.
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The 17-year-old shares Yurok and Māori ancestry and grew up in Requa, one of the continent’s longest continuously inhabited communities.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
NuggetSD/Reddit Doggy DNA testing Dog DNA testing kits have become increasingly popular for pet owners, offering an at-home solution to finding out your pup's ancestry, with some people even holding DNA reveal parties for their pets.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
That has led to debate over whether the child belonged to Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or even a hybrid with Denisovan ancestry.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestry
Cite this Entry
“Ancestry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestry. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ancestry
noun
an·ces·try
ˈan-ˌses-trē
1
: line of descent
2
: one's ancestors
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share