ancestry

noun

ˈan-ˌse-strē How to pronounce ancestry (audio)
Definition of ancestrynext
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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Example Sentences

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 Three years later, Harvard is still giving another group a preference based on ancestry. — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 Theroux’s Canadian odyssey begins on a personal note, with a history of his French Canadian ancestry. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026 Although some Hemings descendants have been fighting for recognition for decades, others learned of their ancestry from Kurin’s study. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026 Charland said people can trace their ancestry to the Hales as well as people with an interest in the Hale family genealogy are invited to revisit the family homestead. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestry
  1. lineage
  2. genealogy
  3. origin
  4. pedigree
  5. descent
  6. family
  7. breeding
Noun
  • The country’s storied motorsport lineage can be traced to 1963, when Formula 1 originally added a Grand Prix in Mexico’s capital.
    — Alan Chazaro, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Payments to individuals vary based on the closest lineage to the family members and continue into perpetuity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of lineage
Noun
  • The forensic department at Oklahoma State University then took over genealogy profiling, according to Rouse.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Lichtman's discovery highlights the role of JewishGen, one of the world's largest online resources for Jewish genealogy.
    — Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of genealogy
Noun
  • In its news release, the Bureau tracked the origins of Halloween to the Samhain festival, which was popular among Celtic communities in ancient Ireland and Britain.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • His father — a World War II veteran, teacher, coach, athletic director and school bus driver — is at the center of almost every origin story Thune tells.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of origin
Noun
  • The backstory Once home to 60 Thompson, a defining early-2000s boutique hotel, this SoHo address has serious hotel pedigree.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But none of those butterfingers have the pedigree of Skattebo.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pedigree
Noun
  • The booster, meanwhile, reoriented for its descent back to Earth.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The deputy pointed to Les Républicains leader and presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who was interior minister in 2023 when police shot a teenager of Algerian-Moroccan descent and sparked nationwide protests.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of descent
Noun
  • Another family attempted to navigate the gate to access medical appointments.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Sanders, who spoke alongside el Sayed in Grand Rapids, said Trump’s attacks on the Democratic candidate were rooted in Islamophobia because Republicans have little to say about the issues affecting working families.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Sacramento area and the Central Valley lie within the monarch butterfly’s early breeding zone.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of breeding

Browse Nearby Words

ancestries
ancestry
anchor
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Cite this Entry

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

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