genealogy
noun
ge·ne·al·o·gy
ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē 
also
-ˈa-lə-
also ˌje-nē-
plural genealogies
1
: an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms
2
: regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor (see progenitor sense 1) or older form : pedigree
3
: the study of family ancestral lines
4
: an account of the origin and historical development of something
Examples of genealogy in a Sentence
They've been researching their genealogies.
has a distinguished genealogy that traces back to William the Conqueror
Recent Examples on the Web
Black women’s representation in genealogy, archiving, and database industries is important because their perspectives are often undervalued in these fields and their roles are limited.
—
Britney Porter, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
But genetic genealogy has rarely been tested in a courtroom setting to an intense degree.
—Eric Levenson, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Forensic genetic genealogy testing comes with a high cost.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025
In August 2023, Barlow was a defense witness at a court hearing over the state’s effort to limit some records related to the FBI’s use in the case of an advanced DNA technique called investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, which first landed on Kohberger as the suspect.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genealogy
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Britney Porter, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
But genetic genealogy has rarely been tested in a courtroom setting to an intense degree.
—Eric Levenson, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Forensic genetic genealogy testing comes with a high cost.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025
In August 2023, Barlow was a defense witness at a court hearing over the state’s effort to limit some records related to the FBI’s use in the case of an advanced DNA technique called investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, which first landed on Kohberger as the suspect.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genealogy
Cite this Entry
“Genealogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genealogy. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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genealogy
noun
ge·ne·al·o·gy
ˌjē-nē-ˈäl-ə-jē
ˌjen-ē-
ˌjen-ē-
-ˈal-
plural genealogies
1
: the line of ancestors of a person or family or a history of such a line of ancestors
2
: the study of family lines of ancestors
genealogist
noun
-ˈäl-ə-jəst
-ˈal-
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