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Definitions

ancestry

[an-ses-tree, -suh-stree] / ˈæn sɛs tri, -sə stri /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This variant is relatively common, found in about 40% of people of European descent and 38% of people with Middle Eastern ancestry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Instead of processing it on CODIS, they used another part of the DNA to search for potential relatives of the unknown killer in ancestry databases.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

He played at the field hockey World Cup for his native South Africa, but holds an Italian passport now through his ancestry.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Meanwhile Heathcliff is described in the novel, written in 1847, as "dark-skinned", although his ancestry is ambiguous.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Outlanders, foreigners, and freedmen were not allowed inside the Black Wall save at the invitation of those who dwelt within, scions of the Old Blood who could trace their ancestry back to Valyria itself.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin




Vocabulary lists containing ancestry