ancestry
noun
an·ces·try
ˈan-ˌse-strē 
Examples of ancestry in a Sentence
They claim to be of noble ancestry.
a person of unknown ancestry
She claims to be able to trace her ancestry all the way back to the earliest settlers.
Recent Examples on the Web
The genetic material researchers had retrieved was mitochondrial DNA, which, unlike nuclear DNA, is only inherited through the maternal line, providing an incomplete picture of an individual’s genomic ancestry.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
The team works with law enforcement agencies to solve missing person and homicide cases involving people of Indigenous ancestry.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
But many Chicanos trace their lineage to indigenous peoples who survived Spanish colonization, often carrying mixed indigenous, Spanish, and other ancestries, a testament to survival and cultural fusion.
—David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
On the morning of December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, more than a hundred and twenty-five thousand people of Japanese ancestry lived in the continental United States, most of them on the West Coast.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
The team works with law enforcement agencies to solve missing person and homicide cases involving people of Indigenous ancestry.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
But many Chicanos trace their lineage to indigenous peoples who survived Spanish colonization, often carrying mixed indigenous, Spanish, and other ancestries, a testament to survival and cultural fusion.
—David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
On the morning of December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, more than a hundred and twenty-five thousand people of Japanese ancestry lived in the continental United States, most of them on the West Coast.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestry
Cite this Entry
“Ancestry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestry. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ancestry
noun
an·ces·try
ˈan-ˌses-trē
1
: line of descent
2
: one's ancestors
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