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• descendant
  descendant

  noun

  a person or animal that is descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring.
• Descendant
  Descendant

  noun

  astrology the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Ascendant

descendant

American  

[dih-sen-duhnt] / dɪˈsɛn dənt /

noun

• descendants
  plural

1. a person or animal that is descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring.

2. something deriving in appearance, function, or general character from an earlier form.

3. an adherent who follows closely the teachings, methods, practices, etc., of an earlier master, as in art, music, philosophy, etc.; disciple.

4. Astrology.

   1. the point opposite the ascendant.

   2. the point of the ecliptic or the sign and degree of the zodiac setting below the western horizon at the time of a birth or of an event.

   3. the cusp of the seventh house.

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adjective

1. descending; descendent.

descendant ¹ British  

/ dɪˈsɛndənt /

noun

1. a person, animal, or plant when described as descended from an individual, race, species, etc

2. something that derives or is descended from an earlier form

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adjective

1. a variant spelling of descendent

Descendant ² British  

/ dɪˈsɛndənt /

noun

1. astrology the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Ascendant

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• descendants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of descendant

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English descendaunt (adjective), from Old French descendant “going down,” present participle of descendre “to go down”; equivalent to descend + -ant

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Explanation

The word descendant refers to something that has come down. For example, everyone is a descendant, or the end of a line of ancestors, just as modern art is a descendant of past art that contributed to its style and technique. The word descendant comes from the word "descend" which means to move in a downward direction. Note that the word can also be spelled with an "-ent" ending. Philosopher Herbert Spencer wrote, “The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.” Have you ever wondered what your descendants will know about you? Perhaps you could leave them your peanut butter and banana sandwich recipe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

descendant Descendant descendants

In 2021, DNA from a living descendant allowed researchers to identify John Gregory, Engineer of HMS Erebus.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

"I am a descendant of the Urartians, their grandson," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Goode’s third, “Monsters of God,” premiering Thursday on HBO, is both a direct descendant and forges a new path.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Bruce Young, 80, a descendant of homesteaders, sat on his porch overlooking Stoner Creek near the Territory 1889 site, and shook his head as a mule deer wandered past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

A descendant of eighty pole fighters, I ought to be able to set out confidently, march straight down our street, get going right now.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

Perhaps more significant was the 2018 publication of “Engaging Descendant Communities in the Interpretation of Slavery,” a guide for museums willing to build relationships with descendant communities to interpret more inclusive histories for the public.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022

DeGioia said he would “engage key leaders in our Georgetown, Descendant and Jesuit communities and our faculty, board, and student leadership to chart a path forward”.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 15, 2019

Descendant of Thieves: Specializing in shirts and knit tops, the staples designed by Dres Ladro and Matteo Maniatty carry a whiff of their Mediterranean heritage.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2017

Descendant native communities, by contrast, might object to the political implications of having their ancestors’ jewelry, hunting tools, or kitchenware collected as primitive curiosities.

From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2015

Descendant of the centipede, it studied him from a distance of forty meters, its poisoned forward spikes twitching with unease.

From Oberheim (Voices) by Christopher Leadem

Caribbean nations campaigning for slavery reparations have won support from an unexpected source -- the descendants of some of Britain's most prominent families to have benefitted from the slave trade.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

This allowed them to follow the same stem cells and their descendants for five months, an unprecedented period of observation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

The family-controlled business was founded in 1870 by George Garvin Brown and is now controlled by more than 100 living descendants and spouses—many of them cousins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

One of the Sabal palm's descendants is growing in its place.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Five hundred years later, when Columbus sailed into the Caribbean, the descendants of the world’s Neolithic Revolutions collided, with overwhelming consequences for all.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

• heir
• offspring
• scion

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