lineage
1 Americannoun
noun
-
direct descent from an ancestor, esp a line of descendants from one ancestor
-
a less common word for derivation
noun
Etymology
Origin of lineage
1275–1325; line(al) + -age; replacing Middle English linage < Anglo-French; Old French lignage < Vulgar Latin *līneāticum. See line 1, -age
Explanation
The word lineage is used to describe everyone who descends from a particular ancestor. Mozart had six children, but none of them had children of their own, so the composer’s lineage ended after one generation. If you put an adjective like artistic or spiritual before lineage, it becomes clear you're talking about people who are related by ideas or attitude, not by blood. There are many composers, even today, who trace their musical lineage to Mozart, even though his actual lineage ended in the 19th century.
Vocabulary lists containing lineage
It's All in the Family
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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Born a Crime
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One branch of the crocodile family tree evolved the ability to tolerate hotter conditions than the broader lineage could withstand at other times.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Their results suggest that the lineage originated approximately 65 million years ago, roughly one million years after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
The performer of epic poetry was a rhapsoidos, a song-weaver, and this apt metaphor positions Ms. Hall in the lineage of ancient bards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
In July, he called Cooks proposing an entirely new series, this time looking beyond a European lineage to one rooted in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
“I know, that’s on me. But I am certain. He’s speaking an old Cree I don’t even fully know. He’s way more fluent than me or anyone else I’ve met. And walked his lineage back.”
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
