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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

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

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

"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

George III was, like his descendant Charles III, unusually intellectual for royalty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

It was then sold to Seyffardt at auction before being handed down to his descendant, Brand says.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

Only now, she knew that Frank was a descendant of Neptune, too.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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

What Honours are therefore due to One who is in a Direct Male Line, an Immediate Descendant from the Loins of that Great Man!

From A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling (1726) [and] Pudding and Dumpling Burnt to Pot. Or a Compleat Key to the Dissertation on Dumpling (1727) by Samuel L. Macey

These occur when an individual gains a beneficial mutation that gives it an advantage over closely related individuals, allowing its descendants to become dominant.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

"This work points to a completely different way of testing their possible role in cosmic history. Their descendants could leave a gravitational-wave imprint that persists all the way to the present-day Universe."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

For generations, descendants of founder George Garvin Brown have run the business, even after they took the company public in 1933.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

When the show focuses on more recent art, it is capable of finding descendants of the pioneers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

According to their own tales they were the original inhabitants and were the descendants of the first Men that ever wandered into the West of the middle-world.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• heir
• offspring
• scion