descendant 1 of 2

variants also descendent

descendant

2 of 2

noun

variants also descendent

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of descendant
Adjective
Oliver Origin: German, French Meaning: Olive tree, ancestors descendant Alternative Spellings & Variations: Olivier (French) Famous Namesakes: Actor Oliver Hudson, athlete Oliver Kahn Peak Popularity: Oliver jumped to the #3 most popular boy name in 2019 and has remained since. Casey Clark, Parents, 30 July 2024 Her anti-intellectual agenda would take root in the nation’s youngest minds, filtering down through descendant generations. Big Think, 24 June 2024
Noun
Then came file sharing, in the late ’90s, and the iPod and its descendant, the iPhone, all of which compromised the quality of the music in favor of smaller files that could flourish on a low-bandwidth internet—convenience and scale at the expense of quality. Michael Owen, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025 Among those packing the pews of the historic church were dozens of the composer's descendants from New Orleans and across the country. Matt Bloom, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for descendant 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descendant
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Noun
  • In fact, experts say, in the case of an assassination, a president’s successor would decide on any military action.
    Karen Yourish, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
  • The director of loans and pathways Matt Newberry was promoted to director of global talent in November, but loans remain part of his remit while a successor is recruited.
    James Pearce, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • That’s how typical reef-building corals, like the iconic elkhorn and staghorn species, with their antler-like appearance, produce offspring.
    Benji Jones, Vox, 4 Feb. 2025
  • If the bears produce offspring, their cubs will leave for China by age 4 to participate in a giant panda breeding program aimed at increasing the species’ population.
    Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The hope, of course, is that the joyous moments outweigh the headaches and that on some lizard-brain level, this early exposure will pay off someday, helping to shape the great people that our progeny will eventually become.
    Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Down below, the musicians come off as its progeny, especially once Lipton Bot introduces us to his Grandpa Morrie, a sentient and arguably senile Roomba.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • But the media scion has an important piece of business in front of the Trump White House: the pending sale of Paramount to David Ellison’s Skydance Media that would both mark her safe exit and ensure the company’s survival.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Texas Longhorns star quarterback and NFL scion Arch Manning has signed a reportedly massive deal with energy drink giant Red Bull.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The neutral material keeps it from looking like an eye sore and can be expanded for more hanging space as needed.
    Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024
  • This playful hanging figure will give your trick-or-treaters and guests a laugh instead of a fright.
    Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • In recent days, judges have pumped the brakes on Trump’s efforts to freeze spending, cull the federal workforce, end automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil, send transgender women to men’s prisons and dismantle the United States Agency for International Development.
    Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Two parents from Ohio have gone viral on TikTok after sharing their exemplary handling of a tricky disciplinary call while managing not to laugh at their misbehaving child.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near descendant

Cite this Entry

“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descendant. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on descendant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!