ancestry

Plural: ancestries

Noun

• A person's origin, descent, or ethnic background.
• the descendants of one individual
• inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline
• The state of being ancestors.
• Birth to a noble or high-ranking family, or to someone of honorable descent.
• A series of ancestors; the people from whom one is descended.

Examples

• He researched the word’s ancestry to prove its validity in the game.
• I can trace my ancestry back to the 18th century.
• Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible.

Synonyms

blood, blood line, bloodline, derivation, descent, filiation, line, line of descent, lineage, origin, parentage, pedigree, stemma, stock, provenance

Related Words

ancestor, ancestral