lineage

1 of 2

noun (1)

lin·​e·​age ˈli-nē-ij 

 also  ˈli-nij

1

a

: descent in a line from a common progenitor

b

: derivation

the gun's direct lineage is in the 1960s

—Erik Larson

2

: a group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor

especially : such a group of persons whose common ancestor is regarded as its founder

lineage

2 of 2

noun (2)

line·​age

less common spelling of linage

: the number of lines of printed or written matter

Synonyms

Noun (1)

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

Examples of lineage in a Sentence

Noun (1)

his Italian lineage was very important to him

it is now generally accepted that the lineage of Thomas Jefferson includes black as well as white members

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most people aren’t tracking the deep lineages of AI, ML and neural networks, leading to widespread confusion about the actual capabilities and risks of these technologies. —Greg Brunk, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

And of course, Knowles, who was recently honored during Glamour's Women of the Year event, seems to be making her lineage proud. —Caché McClay, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

There are lots of other things in between them — things that branched off the lineage leading to plants and things that branched off the lineage leading to animals — that are mostly unicellular organisms. —Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024

Ctenophores are thought to be the first lineage that branched off from the common ancestor of all other animals. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

lineage

noun

lin·​eage

ˈlin-ē-ij

1

: the ancestors from whom a person is descended

2

: the people descended from the same ancestor

Medical Definition

lineage

noun

lin·​e·​age

ˈlin-ē-ij also ˈlin-ij

1

: descent in a line from a common progenitor

2

: a group of individuals descended from a common ancestor

replication in T cell lineages