lineage

noun

ˈli-nē-ij How to pronounce lineage (audio)
Definition of lineagenext
1
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended his Italian lineage was very important to him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in family
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor it is now generally accepted that the lineage of Thomas Jefferson includes black as well as white members

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lineage Despite their lineage, the sisters struggled for more than a decade to get a record like this made. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026 The sisters’ songwriting chops are solid — no surprise given their lineage — and their interplay as singers is a constant delight. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026 In addition, the way in initial cases occurred in clusters within the market and the distribution of the earliest viral lineages, is consistent with the likelihood that several separate animal-to-human spillover events took place in late 2019. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026 Britain does not field the US W76-1 or W76-2, although its sovereign warhead shares design lineage and technical commonality with the W76 and currently uses the Mk4A reentry body. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lineage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lineage
  1. ancestry
  2. family
  3. pedigree
  4. tribe
  5. origin
  6. clan
  7. genealogy
  8. house
Noun
  • According to Census data taken between 2019 and 2023, the number of residents of Italian ancestry in Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront District was down 25 percent over the previous 13 years.
    — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But Shanes questioned whether grouping Jews under a single ethnic category would produce sufficiently specific data for those purposes, or instead obscure differences among Jewish populations with distinct ancestries.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestry
Noun
  • In our efforts to reciprocate with some updates about our family, the wife would interject within a sentence or two of our contribution to hijack the conversation back to talking about her family.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The role of companies Singapore’s new scheme shifts from merely encouraging births to focus on family well-being over the long term, which might help change how potential parents think about children.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • Only 24 and with room to grow, but also real pedigree, Nico felt like the perfect, window-shaping addition.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its celebrity pedigree is astonishing (spokespersons and fans include Jane Fonda, Martha Stewart, Andie MacDowell, Heidi Klum, etc), its offerings are robust, and many, if not most of its products, are five-star successes.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of pedigree
Noun
  • Especially memorable designs include its Naga choker, wherein each gem represents ornaments worn by a different native tribe, and its Naga orchid necklace, inspired by the nearly 400 species of the flowering plant found in the region.
    — Sohini Dey, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Trade groups representing cities, counties and businesses argued the first provision would give tribes power to delay or halt projects, including those that had already been reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • Most also agree on the origin of the beans, which are said to come from the low valleys and mountain slopes of the Andes in Peru.
    — Margy Rochlin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The actor opened up about the origins of his steely exterior in a 2023 interview with USA TODAY.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of origin
Noun
  • For the exterior, the clan enlisted the same architect and builder the wife’s sister had used on a prior house.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The O’Connell clan’s reach extended far beyond a little bribery and ballot stuffing.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Students who had completed Ramapo’s investigative genetic genealogy certificate program volunteered to research the case and identified Krusely as a candidate in December 2025, according to the college.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The scientists’ method reconstructs genealogies, or maps showing where different pieces of DNA came from and how they were passed down, revealing branches of our evolutionary past.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of genealogy
Noun
  • The house is in full expansion mode, said Elie Saab Jr, vice chairman and CEO of the Elie Saab Group.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Fall summons the urge to nest, and as temperatures drop, so does the desire to leave the house.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of house

Browse Nearby Words

line
lineage
lineages
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Cite this Entry

“Lineage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lineage. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lineage

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lineage

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