ANCESTRIES Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestries

noun

plural of ancestry

as in lineages

the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended a Cambodian immigrant who can trace her Khmer ancestry as far back as the 16th century

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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 ancestries But Shanes questioned whether grouping Jews under a single ethnic category would produce sufficiently specific data for those purposes, or instead obscure differences among Jewish populations with distinct ancestries. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 This technique overcomes limitations of older methods like genotyping arrays, which were often biased towards European ancestries and less accurate. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 In a small number of cases, similar ancestries were grouped together. — Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Eastern and western ancestries in Karelian Mesolithic dogs suggest that two lineages diverged during the Paleolithic. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026 That drops to 49% for Hispanic/Latino patients, 29% for Black patients and even lower for mixed ancestries, the NMDP reports. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026 But many Chicanos trace their lineage to indigenous peoples who survived Spanish colonization, often carrying mixed indigenous, Spanish, and other ancestries, a testament to survival and cultural fusion. — David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025 This lack of representation is problematic for people of different ancestries because genetic risk factors differ across populations. — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestries

Noun

Farms spend decades breeding mink to develop unique genetic lineages.

— Nat Lash, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026
Some ancestral lineages diverged roughly 21,000 years ago, according to the review.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of lineages

Noun

Sometimes, though, these genealogies of behavior can seem beside the point, serving only to dull one’s analysis of the situation.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
The scientists’ method reconstructs genealogies, or maps showing where different pieces of DNA came from and how they were passed down, revealing branches of our evolutionary past.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of genealogies

Noun

Cooke does his best to dramatize these origins, often through dry humor, but the personalities involved don’t quite rise to the level of an Aaron Sorkin drama.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Episode four of VisionQuest digs into Butcherbird’s origins and identity while raising fresh questions about her.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of origins

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ancestresses

ancestries

ancestry

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“Ancestries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestries. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestries

noun

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