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• 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.

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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

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adjective

1. a variant spelling of descendent

Descendant ² British  

/ dɪˈsɛndənt /

noun

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

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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

Rich Preston, a BBC News journalist, was found to be a descendant of John Bridgens.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

"I am a descendant of the Urartians, their grandson," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

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

She felt confident about Blaine: he was a descendant of the black men and women who had been in America for hundreds of years.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

"How can I change my mind, Descendant of Wizards?" broke out Ishmael.

From The Ghost Kings by Henry Rider Haggard

On top of this individuals can get an additional transferable allowance for a family home of £175k each when it is left to children or other direct descendants.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The story of the art group and its descendants, also including Maria Maea and San Cha, is featured in the new documentary, “Asco: Without Permission.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Derenoncourt has found that Black Americans who migrated north to growing cities in the 20th century achieved economic gains—but their descendants experienced increasing school segregation and incarceration rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Merikins are the descendants of formerly enslaved African Americans who fought alongside the British during the War of 1812.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2026

In other words, the average forager had wider, deeper and more varied knowledge of her immediate surroundings than most of her modern descendants.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• heir
• offspring
• scion