ancestry

[ an-ses-treeor, especially British, -suh-stree ]

noun

, plural an·ces·tries.

1. family or ancestral descent; lineage.

   Synonyms: stock, genealogy, pedigree

2. honorable or distinguished descent:

   famous by title and ancestry.

3. a series of ancestors:

   His ancestry settled Utah.

   Synonyms: line, family

4. the inception or origin of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
5. the history or developmental process of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.

ancestry

/ ˈænsɛstrɪ /

noun

1. lineage or descent, esp when ancient, noble, or distinguished
2. ancestors collectively

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancestry¹

1300–50; Middle English, equivalent to ancestre ancestor + -y ³; replacing Middle English aunce ( s ) trie < Anglo-French

Example Sentences

Currently, pedigrees are how horse owners and breeders find out which stallions are in a horse's ancestry, which gives information on the traits a horse may have inherited.

From Science Daily

The Archbishop of Canterbury has revealed he is related to a former slave owner after digging into his ancestry.

From BBC

It captures the depth of rootedness and cultural ancestry, tradition and mythology,” said Frederick Luis Aldama, a professor at the University of Texas who has written extensively about Latinos in comics.

From Los Angeles Times

Ratan Tata was born in 1937 in a traditional family of Parsis - a highly educated and prosperous community that traces its ancestry to Zoroastrian refugees in India.

From BBC

He said he had been informed by an officer that his ancestry meant he was unlikely to qualify for the high-level security vetting - called "Developed Vetting" - that would allow him to work in sensitive roles.

From BBC

Related Words

• ancestor
• antecedent
• descent
• extraction
• forebear
• genealogy
• heritage
• lineage
• origin
• parentage