parentage
Americannoun
-
derivation or descent from parents or ancestors; birth, origin, or lineage.
a man of distinguished parentage.
- Synonyms:
- stock, extraction, ancestry
-
the state or relation of a parent; parenthood.
noun
-
ancestry
-
derivation from a particular origin
-
rare parenthood
Etymology
Origin of parentage
From Middle French, dating back to 1480–90; see origin at parent, -age
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.
Uthmeier’s theory would render this presumption unconstitutional, because it allows a non-biological father to assert parentage while severing the biological father’s claim to the child.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
One of the oldest laws of parentage is the “marital presumption,” which automatically establishes a birth mother’s husband as the presumptive legal father, even if he is not a biological parent.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
The current state law allows parents like Chloe, Silvia and Fausto to petition for parentage with relative ease.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
Courts in different jurisdictions don’t necessarily have visibility into parentage applications filed elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025
The event, however, was most joyful; and every day was giving her fresh reason for thinking so.—Harriet’s parentage became known.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
