DESCENDANT Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

descendant 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsen-dənt

variants also descendent

Definition of descendant

as in bowing

bending downward or forward the descendant branches of a weeping willow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

descendant

2 of 2

noun

variants also descendent

as in successor

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of descendant

Adjective

Don Jose, a perfect example that for Latinos rooted in ancestral Mesoamerican and Afro-descendant mutual aid customs, helping is not a choice. — Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026 The descendant, or seventh house of intimacy, is the opposite sign of the ascendant, which describes our ideal mate. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026

Noun

After a complicated journey, the paintings were sold to the museum by a Stroganoff family descendant. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Dewey, a descendant of the family, owned the three portraits of Anna, Roderick, and Sophia, while another relative owned then later sold the portraits of the sons. — Kimberly Phillips, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for descendant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descendant

Adjective

James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.

— Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021

Definition of nodding

Noun

Now, Amy Helm has countersued the studio, alleging that her successor, Brian Parillo, used invalid corporate actions to take control of the famed music venue in Woodstock, New York, and improperly obtained voting power from Levon Helm’s widow.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
In the March primaries, 15 people lined up to be his successor.

— Chris Tye, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of successor

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Noun

Ella Bleu Travolta, John’s daughter, walked the Miu Miu show, and Apple Martin, offspring of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, debuted on the runway for Chloé after fronting one of its campaigns.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Researchers collect the parents' DNA since their offspring are fragile when young.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of offspring

Adjective

The three-part framework is, at its core, a descending order of difficulty and an ascending order of effectiveness.

— Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
For the most part, most of them wore gowns that could fit through the revolving door at the Hotel Du Cap onto the grand descending stairway, read few came close to rivaling Skye Hankey’s boa yellow dress last year which provided an elegant challenge for exits and entrances.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 22 May 2026

Definition of descending

Noun

Otherwise, genetic defects might start to crop up among the progeny and threaten their survivability.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Others criticized them for often being the progeny of Asian mothers and white fathers, as though this were somehow their fault.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of progeny

Noun

The daughter of Khaled Al Saif and Azza Al Sudairi, her mother is a scion of the Al Sudairi dynasty, which has ties to the Saudi Arabian royal family.

— Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 17 Oct. 2026
Since the hotel’s opening day in 1907, when a Vanderbilt scion signed the guest register with a flourish, the Plaza, at the corner of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue, has been synonymous with a particular New York brand of opulence.

— Andy Newman, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of scion

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descendant

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“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descendant. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of descendant

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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