matrilineage

[ ma-truh-lin-ee-ij, mey- ]

noun

1. lineal descent traced through the female line.

Word History and Origins

Origin of matrilineage¹

First recorded in 1945–50; matri- + lineage ¹

Example Sentences

The scene is a poignant valentine to her matrilineage and to how she was shaped by the embellishments that came before.

From The New Yorker

She has amassed an impressive haul, predominantly focused on female artists, which she describes as a “matrilineage through global art history”.

From The Guardian

My mother is Jewish only on her father’s side, a lack of matrilineage that renders me gentile to all but the most liberal wing of the rabbinate.

From The Guardian

Using mitochondrial DNA analysis that traced Washington’s matrilineage, African Ancestry inferred that the actor shared some similarity to a Mende or Temne person or persons living in Sierra Leone.

From Salon

On top of that, the prevalence of female remains with ornaments compared to male remains suggested women were held in high regard, reinforcing the idea of matrilineage.

From Washington Times