family tree

American  

noun

family trees plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• family trees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of family tree

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

family tree

Strangers don’t need to know your whole family tree, which is the first way asking for free advice differs from paying a professional.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

He describes his modern family tree as a sprawling “tribe,” counting 16 nephews and 42 great-nephews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Perhaps Lodge’s career path didn’t stray too far from the family tree after all.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Television genealogists may point out that Colbert’s branch of the talk show family tree is still represented by his Comedy Central brethren on “The Daily Show,” including Stewart, and John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight.”

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

As I watched Mom dish eggs and Soyrizo onto two plates, I thought about the family tree assignment for Spanish class.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez