Dictionary.com

lineal

[ lin-ee-uhl ]
/ ˈlɪn i əl /
See synonyms for: lineal / lineally on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being in the direct line, as a descendant or ancestor, or in a direct line, as descent or succession.
of or transmitted by lineal descent.
linear.

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seclusion
a false belief or opinion.
the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.
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Origin of lineal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word līneālis.See line1, -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM lineal

lin·e·al·ly, adverbmul·ti·lin·e·al, adjectivenon·lin·e·al, adjectiveun·lin·e·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to lineal

genetic, national, tribal, short, straightforward, solid, smooth, successive, consecutive, nonstop, true, personal, immediate, familial, inborn, transmitted, even, right, vertical, level

Example sentences from the Web for lineal

  • What proof that some unlineal hand, some barbarism, without or within, shall not wrench the sceptre of democracy from our grasp?

    Have faith in Massachusetts; 2d ed.|Calvin Coolidge

British Dictionary definitions for lineal

lineal
/ (ˈlɪnɪəl) /

adjective

being in a direct line of descent from an ancestor
of, involving, or derived from direct descent
a less common word for linear

Derived forms of lineal

lineally, adverb

Word Origin for lineal

C14: via Old French from Late Latin līneālis, from Latin līnea line 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012