ANCESTRY Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestry

noun

ˈan-ˌse-strē

Definition of ancestry

as in lineage

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 ancestry It is believed that around 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island, according to the National Park Service. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 In astrology, Mercury governs communication, language, ideas and public discourse, while Cancer is associated with memory, ancestry and the past. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026 More than 40 million people worldwide claim Scottish ancestry, and many are in South Florida right now for the big World Cup match between Scotland and Brazil on Wednesday. — Joan Murray, CBS News, 24 June 2026 However, elites’ DNA contained genetic similarities known as runs of homozygosity — adjacent genetic markers indicating common ancestry — and their genomes tended to be more homogenous than those of non-elites. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestry

Noun

Green said that through William's mother, the late Princess Diana, his lineage traces back to Benajah Strong.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
The research team, led by Ellie Bourgikos and Nathan Grubaugh at the Yale School of Public Health, estimates that one of the virus’s two major lineages arrived in the Northeast by the early 1700s.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of lineage

Noun

Othram, based in The Woodlands, Texas, specializes in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, a method that can help investigators identify suspects or unknown victims when traditional law enforcement databases do not produce a match.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Investigators identified Cheryl using forensic genetic genealogy.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Definition of genealogy

Noun

The census ancestry and origin data are estimates based on a sample of the population and include margins of error that can be large for small population groups.

— Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Understanding the origin of life requires addressing a collection of overlapping scientific questions.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026

Definition of origin

Noun

While Bosnia, 61st in the FIFA rankings, lacks the pedigree of many of those past European opponents, the Americans know this matchup won't be easy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
The festival boasts a mix of Hollywood glamor and European cinema pedigree that’s impossible to replicate anywhere else.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 June 2026

Definition of pedigree

Noun

His mother was of European descent and his father was a Cantonese opera star who was on tour in the city, affording his son birthright citizenship.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Stokesbury said the climber's descent was a long slide down the steep snow slope rather than a straight free fall, with the terrain gradually becoming less steep farther down the mountain.

— Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of descent

Noun

The family fought for three hours last July Fourth to stay alive after more than a summer’s worth of rain fell overnight on bone-dry soil, pushing the waterway from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of family

Noun

That posture has guided not only the book but also the expansion of the Freakonomics universe into a long-running podcast and live conversations that explore everything from education to horse breeding.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
The zoo, which opened in its current location in 1997, hosts a successful breeding program for the endangered clouded leopard.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Definition of breeding

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ancestries

ancestry

anchor

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“Ancestry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestry. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestry

noun

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