lineage

¹ American  

[lin-ee-ij] / ˈlɪn i ɪdʒ /

noun

1. lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry or extraction.

   She could trace her lineage to the early Pilgrims.

   Synonyms:

   genealogy, derivation, parentage, pedigree

2. the line of descendants of a particular ancestor; family.

   Synonyms:

   clan, tribe

---

lineage ² American  

[lahy-nij] / ˈlaɪ nɪdʒ /

noun

1. linage.

---

lineage ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪnɪɪdʒ /

noun

1. direct descent from an ancestor, esp a line of descendants from one ancestor

2. a less common word for derivation

---

lineage ² British  

/ ˈlaɪnɪdʒ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of linage

---

Etymology

Origin of lineage

1275–1325; line(al) + -age; replacing Middle English linage < Anglo-French; Old French lignage < Vulgar Latin *līneāticum. See line ¹, -age

Example Sentences

Traditional Hausa society stresses background checks on lineage, morality and family reputation before marriage.

From Barron's

The Sierra Nevada red fox is a distinct lineage from the common red fox known for residing in high-elevation, remote mountainous regions.

From Los Angeles Times

Every organism alive today traces its lineage back to a single shared ancestor that lived about four billion years ago.

From Science Daily

Instead, she situates herself within a lineage of artists who have used public space to reflect and reshape their communities.

From Los Angeles Times

But the donut –the real donut– has more than one lineage.

From Salon

Related Words

• clan
• descent
• genealogy
• origin
• pedigree