Ancestry

//ˈæn.sɛs.tɹi// noun

noun ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The state of being ancestors. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline wordnet
  3. 3
    Birth to a noble or high-ranking family, or to someone of honorable descent. countable, uncountable

    "Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible."

  4. 4
    the hereditary derivation of an individual wordnet
  5. 5
    A series of ancestors; the people from whom one is descended. countable, uncountable

    "I can trace my ancestry back to the 18th century."

Synonyms

All synonyms
descentlineagelineageparentagenationalityaffiliation

Example

More examples

"However, the singer does not deny her ancestry."

Etymology

From Middle English auncestrie, from Old French ancesserie. See ancestor.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.