1
a
: descent in a line from a common progenitor
b
: derivation
… the brand's lineage as a leather goods company.—
Colleen Barry
Colleen Barry2
: a group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor
especially
: such a group of persons whose common ancestor is regarded as its founder
Examples of lineage in a Sentence
Noun (1)
his Italian lineage was very important to him
it is now generally accepted that the lineage of Thomas Jefferson includes black as well as white members
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Birds are thought to have descended from carnivorous dinosaurs that began growing feathers by the Late Jurassic Period; thus, birds are technically one lineage of reptiles.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Stoudemire joins a lineage of Jewish basketball icons in the Hall of Fame, including Sue Bird, who was inducted last year, Nancy Lieberman, Nat Holman, Barney Sedran, Max Friedman and Dolph Schayes — the only other Jewish player to have his number retired in the NBA.
—Jacob Gurvis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, soccer leaders within Congo enlisted a strategy widely used in international soccer — calling in the help of dual-national players with lineage to the country but who developed as players outside its borders.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lineage
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Noun
Within about a month, a lineage of Oceanospirillales microbes proliferated, feasting on cyclohexane.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Birds are thought to have descended from carnivorous dinosaurs that began growing feathers by the Late Jurassic Period; thus, birds are technically one lineage of reptiles.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Stoudemire joins a lineage of Jewish basketball icons in the Hall of Fame, including Sue Bird, who was inducted last year, Nancy Lieberman, Nat Holman, Barney Sedran, Max Friedman and Dolph Schayes — the only other Jewish player to have his number retired in the NBA.
—Jacob Gurvis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, soccer leaders within Congo enlisted a strategy widely used in international soccer — calling in the help of dual-national players with lineage to the country but who developed as players outside its borders.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lineage
Cite this Entry
“Lineage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lineage. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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