genealogy
noun
ge·ne·al·o·gy
ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē 
also
-ˈa-lə-
also ˌje-nē-
plural genealogies
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
Synonyms
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
This marked the first time in European history that forensic genealogy was used to solve a murder case, setting a precedent for future investigations.
—
Isabella Wandermurem, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy can potentially find more distant relatives, according to Wiebe.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
As the author Taylor Lorenz noted in her book Extremely Online, many of the billion-dollar start-ups that have come to dominate our lives boast equally unlikely genealogies.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 18 Dec. 2024
While still working with the FBI in 2018, Kramer helped identify the Golden State Killer using forensic genetic genealogy testing.
—CBS News, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genealogy 
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Isabella Wandermurem, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy can potentially find more distant relatives, according to Wiebe.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
As the author Taylor Lorenz noted in her book Extremely Online, many of the billion-dollar start-ups that have come to dominate our lives boast equally unlikely genealogies.
—Rory Smith, The Athletic, 18 Dec. 2024
While still working with the FBI in 2018, Kramer helped identify the Golden State Killer using forensic genetic genealogy testing.
—CBS News, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genealogy
Dictionary Entries Near genealogy
Cite this Entry
“Genealogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genealogy. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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genealogy
noun
ge·ne·al·o·gy
ˌjē-nē-ˈäl-ə-jē
ˌjen-ē-
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
genealogist
noun
-ˈäl-ə-jəst
-ˈal-
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