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Definition of ancestry

ancestry

/ˈæn.sɛs.tɹi/
an · ces · try
Adverb:ancestrally
•
Plural:ancestries
•
Adjective:ancestral
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ancestry Lexical Profile

ancestry Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

One's family or ethnic descent; a person's lineage or line of forebears.

Example

"She decided to research her family history and discovered that she was of Scottish and Irish ancestry."

2

The evolutionary or historical origin and development of an organism, language, custom, or institution.

Example

"Fossil records allow paleontologists to trace the evolutionary ancestry of modern birds back to feathered dinosaurs."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

ancestral
ancestrally
ancestress
ancestry
ancho
anchor
anchorage

Word Origin & Etymology

Middle English, from Old French ancesserie, derived from ancessor ('ancestor'), which goes back to Latin antecessor ('predecessor' or 'foregoer'), from antecedere ('to go before').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ancestry. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ancestry
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