a person or animal that is descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring.
something deriving in appearance, function, or general character from an earlier form.
an adherent who follows closely the teachings, methods, practices, etc., of an earlier master, as in art, music, philosophy, etc.; disciple.
Astrology.
the point opposite the ascendant.
the point of the ecliptic or the sign and degree of the zodiac setting below the western horizon at the time of a birth or of an event.
the cusp of the seventh house.
a person, animal, or plant when described as descended from an individual, race, species, etc
something that derives or is descended from an earlier form
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English descendaunt (adjective), from Old French descendant “going down,” present participle of descendre “to go down”; equivalent to descend + -ant
The word descendant refers to something that has come down. For example, everyone is a descendant, or the end of a line of ancestors, just as modern art is a descendant of past art that contributed to its style and technique. The word descendant comes from the word "descend" which means to move in a downward direction. Note that the word can also be spelled with an "-ent" ending. Philosopher Herbert Spencer wrote, “The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.” Have you ever wondered what your descendants will know about you? Perhaps you could leave them your peanut butter and banana sandwich recipe.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Living in Guadeloupe, Ms. Sinnapah Mary is an Afro-Caribbean artist who is also the descendant of Indian indentured workers brought to the island by the French after slavery ended.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The case was brought to Brand's attention by a man who told him he was a descendant of Seyffardt and that he was "disgusted" to learn his family had kept the artwork for years.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
In the Dutch case, Brand said he was approached by a man who had recently uncovered two horrifying secrets: he was a descendant of Seyffardt, and his family had displayed the looted art for years.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
Politically independent, he is a descendant of the Crimean Tatars who once dominated the neighborhood alongside Albanians and Bosnians and others from “the outskirts of the Ottoman Empire.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Or there, almost invisible against a leaf, is the lacewing, with green gauze wings and golden eyes, shy and secretive, descendant of an ancient race that lived in Permian times.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
