descend from

verb

descended from; descending from; descends from
: to have (something or someone in the past) as an origin or source
Recent evidence supports the theory that birds descended from dinosaurs.
The plants descend from a common ancestor.
They claim to be descended from a noble British family.

Examples of descend from in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Other adults help survivors descend from trees and roofs. Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 24 June 2026 The meet is at 9am on the Salish Steps, which descend from Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. Simon Hughes, New York Times, 24 June 2026 For a community of a hundred and fifteen thousand, many of whom are descended from Holocaust survivors, these incidents have been profoundly unsettling. Oscar Schwartz, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 The breed is descended from the distinctive Ankole cattle of East Africa and is also found in neighboring Uganda and Burundi. ABC News, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for descend from

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Descend from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend%20from. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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