genealogy

[jee-nee-ol-uh-jee, -al-, jen-ee-]

noun

plural

genealogies 

1. a record or account of the ancestry and descent of a person, family, group, etc.

2. the study of family ancestries and histories.

3. descent from an original form or progenitor; lineage; ancestry.

4. Biology.,  a group of individuals or species having a common ancestry.

   The various species of Darwin's finches form a closely knit genealogy.

genealogy

/ ˌdʒiːnɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌdʒiːnɪˈælədʒɪ /

noun

1. the direct descent of an individual or group from an ancestor

2. the study of the evolutionary development of animals and plants from earlier forms

3. a chart showing the relationships and descent of an individual, group, genes, etc

Other Word Forms

• genealogical adjective
• genealogic adjective
• genealogically adverb
• genealogist noun
• nongenealogic adjective
• nongenealogical adjective
• nongenealogically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of genealogy¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English genealogie, from Middle French, from Late Latin geneālogia, from Greek geneālogía “pedigree,” equivalent to geneā́ “race” + -logia noun suffix; gene -logy

Word History and Origins

Origin of genealogy¹

C13: from Old French genealogie, from Late Latin geneālogia, from Greek, from genea race

Synonym Study

See pedigree.

Example Sentences

The genealogy company entered his record into its vast online database, allowing him to view other users whose DNA closely matched his own.

From BBC

The South Carolina museum helped Ms Lanier with her genealogy claims but was not involved in the legal battle.

From BBC

Laurie’s case marked the first time the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office attempted to identify a murder victim using investigative genealogy.

From Los Angeles Times

After taking that DNA test almost a decade ago, the genealogy company entered her data into its vast family tree, allowing other users to make contact with their genetic relatives – close or distant.

From BBC

“There’s lots of different actors who would want this data for a lot of different purposes, far beyond what you probably thought you were consenting to when you were just interested in genealogy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ancestry 
• genetics 
• lineage 

When To Use

What is genealogy?

Genealogy is the study of ancestry and descent of a person or a family.Genealogy can also refer to the actual chart detailing this information. This is often called a family tree.Genealogy is the process of studying someone’s ancestors and descendants and trying to record their family history and relatives. For example, if you decide to learn more about your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on (that is, your ancestors), you are practicing genealogy. If you decide to learn more about President Theodore Roosevelt’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on (that is, his descendants), you are also practicing genealogy.In biology, the word genealogy is used to describe a group of individuals or species that have a common ancestry. For example, a biologist might be interested in the genealogy of dogs and wolves when researching how they became separated from each other.