Dictionary.com

lineal

[ lin-ee-uhl ]
/ ˈlɪn i əl /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

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. 2023

How to use lineal in a sentence

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

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
FEEDBACK