descend from
phrasal verb
descended from; descending from; descends from
: to have (something or someone in the past) as an origin or source
Recent evidence supports the theory that birds descended from dinosaurs.
The plants descend from a common ancestor.
They claim to be descended from a noble British family.
Examples of descend from in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President Jackson is also known for descending from a terrace at the White House in mid-speech to beat a heckler with his hickory stick.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Mar. 2025
The painting depicts Christ descending from the cross, and it will be displayed in the Vatican Museums in Rome beginning March 20, for three months.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 19 Mar. 2025
The Turkish Steps are a natural formation of sedimentary rock resembling steps that descend from the white cliffs to the sea.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
The Garifuna are an ethnocultural group descending from enslaved African people and indigenous tribes including the Arawak, Kalinago and Afro-Caribbean peoples who originated on the Caribbean islands and settled on the South American Caribbean coast.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend from
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.
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Mar. 2025
The painting depicts Christ descending from the cross, and it will be displayed in the Vatican Museums in Rome beginning March 20, for three months.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 19 Mar. 2025
The Turkish Steps are a natural formation of sedimentary rock resembling steps that descend from the white cliffs to the sea.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
The Garifuna are an ethnocultural group descending from enslaved African people and indigenous tribes including the Arawak, Kalinago and Afro-Caribbean peoples who originated on the Caribbean islands and settled on the South American Caribbean coast.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend from
Cite this Entry
“Descend from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend%20from. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share