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

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

Teeth can reveal a great deal, but scientists need more fossil material before they can formally name the species and understand where it fits on the human family tree.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

Finn and his Danish relatives had similar physical characteristics to the UK couple - light eyes and brown hair, an extended family tree showed.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

From there, investigators can sometimes find distant relatives to help piece together a family tree that can point to a suspect, said CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist and co-founder of DNA Justice.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Their family tree, where they’d lived, holiday trips, and happy memories.

From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness