family tree

American  

noun

1. a genealogical chart showing the ancestry, descent, and relationship of all members of a family or other genealogical group.

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family tree British  

noun

1. Also called: genealogical tree.  a chart showing the genealogical relationships and lines of descent of a family

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Etymology

Origin of family tree

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

This small group of ancient crocodile relatives evolved body plans that closely resembled bipedal theropod dinosaurs, despite belonging to a very different branch of the reptile family tree.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

“The mental health of your family tree is in some way statistically associated with your risk of autism,” said Brian K. Lee, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Television genealogists may point out that Colbert’s branch of the talk show family tree is still represented by his Comedy Central brethren on “The Daily Show,” including Stewart, and John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight.”

From Salon • May 21, 2026

Finn and his Danish relatives had similar physical characteristics to the UK couple - light eyes and brown hair, an extended family tree showed.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The Stephanides family tree, diagrammed in Dr. Luce’s “Autosomal Transmission of Recessive Traits,” goes into more detail than I think you would care to know about.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides