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

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

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Mr. Cole, who seems proud that his Banana Ball has a family tree, echoes a common plaint among non-baseball fans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

“The mental health of your family tree is in some way statistically associated with your risk of autism,” said Brian K. Lee, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 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

I’ve seen my name—in bright blue ink—right there among the male names of our family tree.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai