Dictionary

ancestry en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈæn.sɛs.tɹi/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English auncestrie, from Old French ancesserie. See ancestor.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being ancestors.
2. (countable, uncountable) Birth to a noble or high-ranking family, or to someone of honorable descent.
   • Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible. August 1 1713, Joseph Addison, The Guardian volume 123
   • Tali: My people place a high value on family and ancestry. There's an unspoken expectation that I'll live up to my father's example. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: SSV Normandy:
3. (countable, uncountable) A series of ancestors; the people from whom one is descended.
   • I can trace my ancestry back to the 18th century.

Forms

Deriveds

coancestry

Relateds

ancestral · ancestor

Synonyms

lineage · descent · parentage · stock · provenance

Translations (58)

pl pochodzenie (condition as to ancestors) · sh порекло (condition as to ancestors) · sh porijeklo (condition as to ancestors) · nl voorouders (condition as to ancestors) · gl fonduxe (condition as to ancestors) · gl castuaxe (condition as to ancestors) · it antenati (series of ancestors or progenitors) · eo praularo (series of ancestors or progenitors) · sq prejardhja (condition as to ancestors) · ru происхожде́ние (condition as to ancestors) · gl tronquidade (condition as to ancestors) · es ascendencia (series of ancestors or progenitors) · es ancestría (series of ancestors or progenitors) · gl liñaxe (condition as to ancestors) · fi esi-isät (series of ancestors or progenitors) · el γενεαλογικό δένδρο (condition as to ancestors) · gl alcuña (condition as to ancestors) · ota نسل (series of ancestors or progenitors) · ast ascendencia (condition as to ancestors) · de Vorväter (series of ancestors or progenitors) · de Vorfahren (condition as to ancestors) · sh preci (condition as to ancestors) · it progenitori (series of ancestors or progenitors) · fr ascendance (condition as to ancestors) · fa پروز (condition as to ancestors) · gl avoenga (condition as to ancestors) · enm auncestrie (condition as to ancestors) · es ascendencia (condition as to ancestors) · sh поријекло (condition as to ancestors) · ca llinatge (condition as to ancestors) · gl xaramea (condition as to ancestors) · gd sinnsearachd (condition as to ancestors) · pl przodkowie (series of ancestors or progenitors) · ca ascendència (condition as to ancestors) · ota صوی (series of ancestors or progenitors) · ru родосло́вная (condition as to ancestors) · pt ascendência (condition as to ancestors) · sh postanak (condition as to ancestors) · fi suku (series of ancestors or progenitors) · sh poreklo (condition as to ancestors) · gl ascendencia (condition as to ancestors) · it avi (series of ancestors or progenitors) · el γενεαλογία (condition as to ancestors) · fi syntyperä (series of ancestors or progenitors) · enm auncestrie (series of ancestors or progenitors) · ast llinaxe (condition as to ancestors) · el πρόγονοι (condition as to ancestors) · cy ach (condition as to ancestors) · enm generacioun (series of ancestors or progenitors) · mr कूळ (series of ancestors or progenitors) · yua chʼiʼibal (series of ancestors or progenitors) · de Ahnen (series of ancestors or progenitors) · es ancestría (condition as to ancestors) · nl afstamming (condition as to ancestors) · it ascendenza (condition as to ancestors) · it stirpe (condition as to ancestors) · sq farefisnia (series of ancestors or progenitors) · el καταγωγή (condition as to ancestors)