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definitions

genealogy

[ jee-nee-ol-uh-jee, -al-, jen-ee- ]
/ ˌdʒi niˈɒl ə dʒi, -ˈæl-, ˌdʒɛn i- /
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noun, plural ge·ne·al·o·gies.

a record or account of the ancestry and descent of a person, family, group, etc.
the study of family ancestries and histories.
descent from an original form or progenitor; lineage; ancestry.
Biology. a group of individuals or species having a common ancestry: The various species of Darwin's finches form a closely knit genealogy.

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Nearby words

  1. gene-splicing,
  2. geneal.,
  3. genealogical,
  4. genealogical tree,
  5. genealogist,
  6. genearch,
  7. genecology,
  8. genera,
  9. generable,
  10. general

Origin of genealogy

1250–1300; Middle English genealogie < Middle French < Late Latin geneālogia < Greek geneālogía pedigree, equivalent to geneā́ race (see gene) + -logia -logy
SYNONYMS FOR genealogy
1. See pedigree.
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for genealogist

British Dictionary definitions for genealogist

genealogy

/ (ˌdʒiːnɪˈælədʒɪ) /

noun plural -gies

the direct descent of an individual or group from an ancestor
the study of the evolutionary development of animals and plants from earlier forms
a chart showing the relationships and descent of an individual, group, genes, etc
Derived Formsgenealogical (ˌdʒiːnɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl) or genealogic, adjectivegenealogically, adverbgenealogist, noun

Word Origin for genealogy

C13: from Old French genealogie, from Late Latin geneālogia, from Greek, from genea race
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for genealogist
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for genealogist

genealogy

[ jē′nē-ŏl′ə-jē, -ăl′-, jĕn′ē- ]

n.

A record or table of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors; a family tree.
The study or investigation of ancestry and family histories.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.