ancestry

/ˈænsɛstri/
/ˈænsɛstri/
IPA guide

Other forms: ancestries

Have a family tree hanging on the wall? Then you know a bit about your ancestry, or family history and lineage.

If you think ancestry sounds like ancestor, then you're headed in the right direction. Ancestry is basically a history of ancestors, a trail of where your family started and all the descendants that followed. But ancestry goes much further than just your great-great-grand uncle's brother. You can also use the word ancestry to refer to the background of things other than people — such as the ancestry of a building or the ancestry of a nation.

Definitions of ancestry
  1. noun
    the lineage of an individual
    synonyms: blood, blood line, bloodline, descent, line, line of descent, lineage, origin, parentage, pedigree, stemma, stock
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 7 types...
    hide 7 types...
    family, family line, folk, kinfolk, kinsfolk, phratry, sept
    people descended from a common ancestor
    side
    a family line of descent
    people
    members of a family line
    homefolk
    the people of your home locality (especially your own family)
    house
    aristocratic family line
    dynasty
    a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
    gens, name
    family based on male descent
    type of:
    family tree, genealogy
    successive generations of kin
  2. noun
    inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline
    synonyms: derivation, filiation, lineage
    see moresee less
    types:
    descent, extraction, origin
    properties attributable to your ancestry
    bloodline, pedigree
    ancestry of a purebred animal
    full blood
    descent from parents both of one pure breed
    type of:
    hereditary pattern, inheritance
    (genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents
Pronunciation
US
/ˈænsɛstri/
UK
/ˈænsɛstri/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘ancestry'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing ancestry

view more about the vocabulary list
It's All in the Family

Be a kindred spirit by learning this list of vocabulary related to family.

view more about the vocabulary list
Central America and the Caribbean - Introductory

If you want to know more about Central America and the Caribbean, review this list of essential vocabulary. You'll learn about the tropical climate, crops like sugarcane and plantains, and ecotourism. This list also covers important aspects of Central American and Caribbean history, including colonialism and slavery.

view more about the vocabulary list
Central America and the Caribbean - Middle School and High School

If you want to know more about Central America and the Caribbean, review this list of essential vocabulary. You'll learn about the tropical climate, crops like sugarcane and plantains, and ecotourism. This list also covers important aspects of Central American and Caribbean history, including colonialism and slavery.

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS