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
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 identification effort will continue for another several months at least and will include extensive genealogy work, Gary said.
—
CBS News, 4 June 2025
Learn the basics of genealogy, including how to set goals, find key records, organize information, and explore online resources.
—Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
Moss’ case is among half a dozen the unit has solved with the use of forensic genealogy.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Called in to assist local and state police, the FBI used an advanced DNA technique known as investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, to initially land on Kohberger as the murder suspect.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genealogy
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CBS News, 4 June 2025
Learn the basics of genealogy, including how to set goals, find key records, organize information, and explore online resources.
—Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
Moss’ case is among half a dozen the unit has solved with the use of forensic genealogy.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Called in to assist local and state police, the FBI used an advanced DNA technique known as investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, to initially land on Kohberger as the murder suspect.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genealogy
Cite this Entry
“Genealogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genealogy. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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