DESCENDANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does descendant mean? 

• DESCENDANT (noun)
  The noun DESCENDANT has 1 sense:

1. a person considered as descended from some ancestor

  Familiarity information: DESCENDANT used as a noun is very rare.

• DESCENDANT (adjective)
  The adjective DESCENDANT has 2 senses:

1. going or coming down

2. proceeding by descent from an ancestor

  Familiarity information: DESCENDANT used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESCENDANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person considered as descended from some ancestor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

descendant; descendent

Hypernyms ("descendant" is a kind of...):

relation; relative (a person related by blood or marriage)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "descendant"):

child (a member of a clan or tribe)

scion (a descendent or heir)

Antonym:

ancestor (someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent))

Derivation:

descend (come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example)

descendant (proceeding by descent from an ancestor)

• DESCENDANT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Going or coming down

Synonyms:

descendant; descendent

Similar:

descending (coming down or downward)

Derivation:

descend (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Proceeding by descent from an ancestor

Synonyms:

descendant; descendent

Context example:

descendent gene

Similar:

related (connected by kinship, common origin, or marriage)

Derivation:

descendant (a person considered as descended from some ancestor)

 Context examples 

Denotes the inhabitants of Finland, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(Finnish, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of France, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(French, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of Germany, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(German, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of Guam, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(Guamanian, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of Fiji, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(Fiji Islander, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of any of the countries of Europe, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(European, NCI Thesaurus)

The two grandmothers, with not less partiality, but more sincerity, were equally earnest in support of their own descendant.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Denotes the inhabitants of Egypt, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(Egyptian, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of England, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(English, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes the inhabitants of Ethiopia, a person from there, or their descendants elsewhere.

(Ethiopian, NCI Thesaurus)