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

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

To place this species within the rhino family tree, Fraser and her team analyzed 57 other rhinocerotid species, most of which are extinct.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

The research also introduces a revised rhinoceros family tree and suggests that this Arctic species reached North America via a land bridge.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 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

“I can print out a family tree chart for you later, if you’d like.”

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon