adjective
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being in a direct line of descent from an ancestor
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of, involving, or derived from direct descent
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a less common word for linear
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lineal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word līneālis. See line 1, -al 1
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.
The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, was a lineal descendant of the Marshall Plan and an embodiment of soft power.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2025
Each tribe determines its own enrollment, but a common requirement is lineal descendancy from someone on the tribal roll.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2024
Archival documents they found also mention a wife and child—meaning Voorhees could have unidentified lineal descendants living today who could claim his remains.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 23, 2024
Some tribes ask potential members to show lineal descent, meaning an ancestor who was a registered member.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2022
The Voyager spacecraft are the lineal descendants of those sailing-ship voyages of exploration, and of the scientific and speculative tradition of Christiaan Huygens.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions 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.
