pedigree

American  

[ped-i-gree] / ˈpɛd ɪˌgri /

noun

• pedigrees
  plural

1. an ancestral line; line of descent; lineage; ancestry.

2. a genealogical table, chart, list, or record, especially of a purebred animal.

3. distinguished, excellent, or pure ancestry.

4. derivation, origin, or history.

   the pedigree of a word.

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pedigree British  

/ ˈpɛdɪˌɡriː /

noun

1. 1. the line of descent of a purebred animal

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pedigree bull

2. a document recording this

3. a genealogical table, esp one indicating pure ancestry

4. derivation or background

   the pedigree of an idea

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Synonym Usage

Pedigree, genealogy refer to an account of ancestry. A pedigree is a table or chart recording a line of ancestors, either of persons or (more especially) of animals, as horses, cattle, and dogs; in the case of animals, such a table is used as proof of superior qualities: a detailed pedigree. A genealogy is an account of the descent of a person or family traced through a series of generations, usually from the first known ancestor: a genealogy that includes a king.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pedigreed
  adjective
• pedigreeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pedigrees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pedigree

1375–1425; late Middle English pedegru, from Anglo-French, equivalent to Middle French pie de grue literally, “foot of crane,” a fanciful way of describing the appearance of the lines of a genealogical chart

Explanation

The noun pedigree refers to the genetic background of an animal, although it is sometimes applied to people as well. A purebred dog, for example, comes with a verified pedigree, a list of all past parentage. The preoccupation with pedigree isn't new — the concern for human pedigree can be seen in the Bible, where generations are meticulously recorded. Pedigree, referring to a genealogical chart, appeared in 1410 from the Anglo-French pe de gru, meaning "foot of a crane," referring to the chart’s tree — like lines, which looked like the print of a crane's foot. The importance of pedigree extends to animals such as dogs and horses, with breeders careful to follow the animal's lines to assure "purity."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pedigree pedigrees

Despite a pedigree that includes work in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Hammer Museum, Herman remains resolutely modest and insatiably curious.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

They later leaned on their religious pedigree, a history ruling northern Yemen and harsh repression to expand their territory in the wake of the Arab Spring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Boxing can produce shocks, but Garcia's superior amateur pedigree, greater experience at the highest level and natural talent were, as many predicted, simply too much for Benn.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Such an impressive classical pedigree belies the “gremlins of self-doubt” that have plagued Hopkins for much of his life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

We have a few more scraps of information about his intellectual pedigree.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

More so than many cast members, who wear their pedigrees on their sleeve, she generates a feeling of “Well, well, what do we have here?” with no easy, immediate answer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

Convergent evolution shows us that lineages respond more to pressures than pedigrees.

From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, the Brewers are largely a collection of castoffs and unknowns who have somehow coalesced into something greater than their collective pedigrees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

However, pedigrees are recorded manually, and they may go back only a few generations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024

To marshal further evidence, Galton began to reconstruct pedigrees of eminent men.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• lineage