Genealogy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

2024.02.07 21:05


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genealogy

noun

ge·​ne·​al·​o·​gy ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē also -ˈa-lə- also ˌje-nē- plural genealogies Synonyms of genealogy 1 : an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms 2 : regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor (see progenitor sense 1 ) or older form : pedigree 3 : the study of family ancestral lines 4 : an account of the origin and historical development of something genealogical ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl ˌje-nē- adjective genealogically ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē ˌje-nē- adverb

Synonyms

ancestry birth blood bloodline breeding descent extraction family tree line lineage origin parentage pedigree stock strain See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of genealogy in a Sentence

They've been researching their genealogies . has a distinguished genealogy that traces back to William the Conqueror Recent Examples on the Web The case was reopened in 2018 and with the use of forensic genealogy and DNA recovered from the evidence, authorities were able to identify Williams through DNA of his daughter, the statement claimed. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag , 19 Jan. 2024 The group will take a look at how DNA genealogy can help your research, and the companies that offer testing. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune , 6 Jan. 2024 The genealogy company Ancestry has donated 2,500 kits, and the project also encourages participants to upload samples to other commercial registries, in the hope that as the databases grow, matches will become more likely. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post , 13 Dec. 2023 Finally, in July 2020, the coroner's office partnered with the DNA Doe Project, which used genetic genealogy techniques to begin building a family tree for the victim. Stephen Smith, CBS News , 8 Jan. 2024 The case went cold until 2020, when the Kern County coroner’s office teamed up with the DNA Doe Project to try to identify the woman using DNA and investigative genetic genealogy . Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times , 8 Jan. 2024 In 2020, a cold-case team of investigators took a fresh look at the rape case and used genetic genealogy in hopes of identifying DNA from the assailant. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune , 5 Jan. 2024 On the series, Gates works with expert researchers in genealogy and history to inform guests about their ancestors. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag , 2 Jan. 2024 The case remained unsolved and was assigned to the Homicide Cold Case Section, police said, until September 2022, when investigators requested a forensic genetic genealogy investigation. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News , 20 Dec. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'genealogy.' 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

Middle English genealogie , from Anglo-French, from Late Latin genealogia , from Greek, from genea race, family + -logia -logy; akin to Greek genos race

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler The first known use of genealogy was in the 14th century See more words from the same century

Dictionary Entries Near genealogy

genealogizer

genealogy

genecologic

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

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“Genealogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genealogy. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024.

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Kids Definition

genealogy

noun ge·​ne·​al·​o·​gy ˌjē-nē-ˈäl-ə-jē ˌjen-ē- -ˈal- plural genealogies 1 : the line of ancestors of a person or family or a history of such a line of ancestors 2 : the study of family lines of ancestors genealogical ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl ˌjen-ē- adjective genealogically -k(ə-)lē adverb genealogist -ˈäl-ə-jəst -ˈal- noun

More from Merriam-Webster on genealogy

Nglish: Translation of genealogy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of genealogy for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about genealogy

Last Updated: 27 Jan 2024 - Updated example sentences Love words? Need even more definitions?

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