ancestry

[ an-ses-tree or, esp. British, -suh-stree ]
/ ˈæn sɛs tri or, esp. British, -sə stri /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ancestry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural an·ces·tries.

family or ancestral descent; lineage.
honorable or distinguished descent: famous by title and ancestry.
a series of ancestors: His ancestry settled Utah.
the inception or origin of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
the history or developmental process of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.

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Origin of ancestry

1300–50; Middle English, equivalent to ancestre ancestor + -y3; replacing Middle English aunce(s)trie < Anglo-French

Words nearby ancestry

ancaster, ancestor, ancestor worship, ancestral, ancestress, ancestry, anch'ing, anchises, ancho, anchor, anchor baby
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to ancestry

origin, parentage, descent, genealogy, antecedent, forebear, extraction, heritage, lineage, ancestor, progenitor, race, pedigree, forefather, precursor, house, breed, kindred, source, forerunner

Example sentences from the Web for ancestry

British Dictionary definitions for ancestry

ancestry
/ (ˈænsɛstrɪ) /

noun plural -tries

lineage or descent, esp when ancient, noble, or distinguished
ancestors collectively
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012