family tree

American  

noun

1. a genealogical chart showing the ancestry, descent, and relationship of all members of a family or other genealogical group.

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family tree British  

noun

1. Also called: genealogical tree.  a chart showing the genealogical relationships and lines of descent of a family

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Etymology

Origin of family tree

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

He joined Team Italy in 2023 to honor his Italian grandfather, then spent the next few years championing the squad to anyone he could find with an Italian branch on their family tree.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

"These properties are relatively conserved in the evolutionary family tree of insects and can only be changed to a limited extent," Peters explains.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

From there, investigators can sometimes find distant relatives to help piece together a family tree that can point to a suspect.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Now, that long established branch of the dinosaur family tree has gained a surprising new member.

From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026

It’s as if our family tree looks like a set of high-voltage wires strung across a field from one steel tower to the next.

From "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key" by Jack Gantos