Jump To:

• descendant
  descendant

  noun

  a person or animal that is descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring.
• Descendant
  Descendant

  noun

  astrology the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Ascendant

descendant

American  

[dih-sen-duhnt] / dɪˈsɛn dənt /

noun

• descendants
  plural

1. a person or animal that is descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring.

2. something deriving in appearance, function, or general character from an earlier form.

3. an adherent who follows closely the teachings, methods, practices, etc., of an earlier master, as in art, music, philosophy, etc.; disciple.

4. Astrology.

   1. the point opposite the ascendant.

   2. 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.

   3. the cusp of the seventh house.

---

adjective

1. descending; descendent.

descendant ¹ British  

/ dɪˈsɛndənt /

noun

1. a person, animal, or plant when described as descended from an individual, race, species, etc

2. something that derives or is descended from an earlier form

---

adjective

1. a variant spelling of descendent

Descendant ² British  

/ dɪˈsɛndənt /

noun

1. astrology the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Ascendant

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• descendants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of descendant

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

descendant Descendant descendants

Goode’s third, “Monsters of God,” premiering Thursday on HBO, is both a direct descendant and forges a new path.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Bishop Rosemarie Mallett, a descendant of enslaved Africans, who would later chair Project Spire's oversight committee, found the findings deeply significant.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

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

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

Actually, I was not the only legitimate living descendant of the Laughing Man.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Perhaps more significant was the 2018 publication of “Engaging Descendant Communities in the Interpretation of Slavery,” a guide for museums willing to build relationships with descendant communities to interpret more inclusive histories for the public.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022

DeGioia said he would “engage key leaders in our Georgetown, Descendant and Jesuit communities and our faculty, board, and student leadership to chart a path forward”.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 15, 2019

Descendant of Thieves: Specializing in shirts and knit tops, the staples designed by Dres Ladro and Matteo Maniatty carry a whiff of their Mediterranean heritage.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2017

Descendant Norma Longoria Rodriguez, Martinez told me, “conducted oral histories with the family, and created her own private archive of the lives of the men.”

From Slate ● May 5, 2016

Descendant of the centipede, it studied him from a distance of forty meters, its poisoned forward spikes twitching with unease.

From Oberheim (Voices) by Christopher Leadem

There could be legal proceedings to decide whether the money goes to any descendants of the Van Assche family, the organization carrying out the work or the workers themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Although Neanderthals and Denisovans later disappeared, portions of their genomes survived in their modern human descendants.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Those in the wild today are descendants from a small population, meaning their genetic similarities make them particularly vulnerable to adapting to new pressures, like diseases or climate change.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

To the best of their knowledge, they are the only openly lesbian and gay direct descendants of Jefferson and Hemings.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

The English, they argued, were descendants of man, who was created by God in God’s own image.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• heir
• offspring
• scion