agnate
Americannoun
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a relative whose connection is traceable exclusively through males.
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any male relation on the father's side.
adjective
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related or akin through males or on the father's side.
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allied or akin.
adjective
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related by descent from a common male ancestor
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related in any way; cognate
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of agnate
First recorded in 1450–1500; from Latin agnātus “paternal kinsman,” variant of ad(g)nātus “born to” (past participle of adgnāscī ), equivalent to ad- ad- + -gnā “be born” + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
An agnate is a relative on your father's side of the family. Your father's parents are your agnate grandparents. Agnate refers to relatives connected to you directly through your father, such as your father's parents or his siblings. The term comes from the Latin word agnatus, which means "born from the same father." Historically, agnate relationships were significant in determining inheritance and family roles. Today, understanding who your agnate relatives are can help you learn more about your family's history and how different branches of your family tree connect.
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 land through which she guides us is flavid, agnate, calcined, karsty.
From The New Yorker ● May 9, 2016
When the father died, the nearest male of kin, even though declared unqualified as an agnate, came in as guardian.
From Woman under socialism by De Leon, Daniel
Assuming, as seems probable, that Ollantay was a son of the chief of Anta, he would be a cousin of the Inca, and of very high rank, though not an agnate of the reigning family.
From Apu Ollantay A Drama of the Time of the Incas by Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
In Korea, for instance, he can only adopt an agnate and one of a lower generation than his own.
From The Soul of the Far East by Lowell, Percival
The grand duchy, being hereditary only in the male line, passed to the nearest agnate, the duke of Nassau.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 "Hinduism" to "Home, Earls of" by Various
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.
