descendant

1 of 2

adjective

de·​scen·​dant di-ˈsen-dənt How to pronounce descendant (audio)
variants or less commonly descendent
1
: moving or directed downward
listed in descendant order
2
: proceeding from an ancestor or source

descendant

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly descendent
1
: one originating or coming from an ancestral stock or source : one descended from another
descendants of King David
a descendant of an ancient grass
2
: one deriving directly from a precursor or prototype
Italian and other descendants of Latin

Examples of descendant in a Sentence

Adjective the descendant branches of a weeping willow Noun One of the famous inventor's descendants is also an inventor. Many people in this area are descendants of German immigrants. Recent evidence supports the theory that birds are the modern descendants of dinosaurs. The Italian language is one of Latin's descendants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Beyond the official gathering, a series of activities for the descendant families will be held in the district on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 In recent years, members of the descendant community have approached the newfound attention with caution. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2023 He’s got a slightly different notion of what a descendant community might be. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2021 The common variations in the human genome were mostly present in the ancestral human population in Africa and have been inherited by all the descendant populations around the world. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 4 July 2011 Georgetown University, pushed by a 2019 student vote, has established a Reconciliation Fund to pay for projects at descendant communities linked to Maryland Jesuit plantations. Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 June 2023 But even as governments, nonprofit organizations and universities collaborate on reef restoration projects along the Atlantic coast, the voices of descendant communities such as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation tend to be overlooked. Scott Hershberger, Scientific American, 13 July 2020 It’s been crucial for Monticello to build trust and maintain descendant relationships over time so that programs like the scholarship are collaborative rather than top-down, said Bates. Washington Post, 7 June 2021 In Richmond, two cemeteries that experienced decades of decline and neglect — much of it deliberately inflicted in the past, descendant families said, by a hostile white government — now have a clear future under a nonprofit group that recently acquired the land. Kirk Johnson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2020
Noun
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Mussolini in her youth, and her own right-wing political party, Fratelli d’Italia, is a descendant of the Italian Social Movement party that was founded by former fascists. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Last week, the Disney descendants, including Iger critic Abigail Disney, published two separate letters opposing the nominations by Peltz and the other activist firm, Blackwells. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 An obituary published by the family said Benedict, a descendant of the Choctaw Nation, loved nature and cats, particularly their pet Zeus. USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 Both lots are being put up for sale following the death of a Dickens descendant in the Portsmouth area. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 In the crowd were elected officials, clergy and community members, as well as descendants such as Tarence Bailey, the fifth great-grandson of Perry Bailey, Douglass’ eldest sibling. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 Most of Gaza's 2.2 million people are the descendants of Palestinians who were forced out or fled their homes in the first major Israeli-Palestinian war in 1948-49. Aya Batrawy, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 The obstacles are particularly acute for women in the Black Belt, an area named for its dark soil and settled by the descendants of enslaved people. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 Unlike typical reparations efforts focused primarily on financial restitution for the descendants of enslaved individuals, California's strategy prioritizes systemic and structural changes. Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'descendant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English dessendaunte, from Anglo-French descendant, from Latin descendent-, descendens, present participle of descendere — see descend

Noun

French & Latin; French descendant, from Late Latin descendent-, descendens, from Latin

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of descendant was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near descendant

Cite this Entry

“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descendant. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

descendant

1 of 2 adjective
de·​scend·​ant
variants also descendent
di-ˈsen-dənt
1
: moving or directed downward
2
: proceeding from an ancestor or source

descendant

2 of 2 noun
variants also descendent
1
: one descended from another or from a common stock
2
: one coming directly from an earlier and usually similar type or individual

Legal Definition

descendant

noun
de·​scen·​dant
variants also descendent
di-ˈsen-dənt
: a blood relative of a later generation

More from Merriam-Webster on descendant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!