adjective
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being in a direct line of descent from an ancestor
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of, involving, or derived from direct descent
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a less common word for linear
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lineal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word līneālis. See line 1, -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, was a lineal descendant of the Marshall Plan and an embodiment of soft power.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2025
Foreman knocked Frazier down six times in two rounds to become the WBA, WBC and lineal heavyweight champion.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025
Such research can rediscover people’s names and families to possibly identify any living lineal descendants, as well as inform repatriation claims made by self-identified descendant communities.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 23, 2024
Some tribes ask potential members to show lineal descent, meaning an ancestor who was a registered member.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2022
The Voyager spacecraft are the lineal descendants of those sailing-ship voyages of exploration, and of the scientific and speculative tradition of Christiaan Huygens.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
