Lineage
noun /ˈlɪn.i.ɪdʒ/ — Direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry and line of descent.
Definition
Lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry. The lineage is the line that runs from the past through the present into the future — each generation connected to the next by inheritance, whether biological or cultural.
Beyond the definition
Lineage is both gift and burden. It gives you something to build on — and something to reckon with. Every lineage contains stories that have shaped who you are without your knowledge or consent.
Origin & history
Latin: 'linea' (line). The metaphor of descent as a line — each generation a point on a thread that extends back into the past and forward into the future.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her lineage could be traced through seven centuries of the same county.
The jazz musician traced his lineage directly to New Orleans, and heard it in every note.
She came from a lineage of restless women — women who left, who moved, who refused to stay.
Synonyms
ancestry, descent, heritage, bloodline
Antonyms
origin unknown, rootless
Related words
Lineage vs ancestry
Lineage refers specifically to the direct, tracked line of descent from an ancestor. Ancestry refers to the broader pool of people you are descended from, including many diverse branches.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Illustrative example
Tigress Walking With Cubs
A tigress and her cubs walk together along a woodland trail.
The tiger lineage is the visible line of descent, connecting the parent to the offspring and establishing a heritage of survival that runs from the past through the present.
Image credit: Yajuvendraupadhyaya · CC BY 4.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; full composition retained.