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

The team sequenced 50 genomes from this single community and determined that the female lineage was dominant. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025

The most dramatic beauty moment of the night, Stone tapped into a long lineage of iconic Hollywood short hair styles that have become timeless reference photos to take to one’s salon. —Ashley Davis, WWD, 6 Jan. 2025

The team found that Neanderthal DNA had entered the family’s lineage 80 generations earlier—a timeframe for interbreeding that mirrors the one revealed in the Science paper. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024

But by collecting the largest database of African lineages, Gina Paige, president and co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com, said she's been able to show other countries were actually far bigger origin points. —Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 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