de·scen·dant
di-ˈsen-dənt 
variants
or less commonly descendent
1
: moving or directed downward
listed in descendant order
2
: proceeding from an ancestor or source
variants
or less commonly descendent
1
: one originating or coming from an ancestral stock or source : one descended from another
descendants of King David
a descendant of an ancient grass
2
: one deriving directly from a precursor or prototype
Italian and other descendants of Latin
Synonyms
Examples of descendant in a Sentence
Adjective
the descendant branches of a weeping willow
Noun
One of the famous inventor's descendants is also an inventor.
Many people in this area are descendants of German immigrants.
Recent evidence supports the theory that birds are the modern descendants of dinosaurs.
The Italian language is one of Latin's descendants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
The integrative approach of the study led to the exciting identification of the exact event that triggered the signals: the Dickson Fjord rockslide, megatsunami and the descendant waves that persisted.
—Carly Miller, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Debbie Elliott, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024
Docs out today follow artists in Ukraine, women in Afghanistan, South African photographer Ernest Cole and Amichai Lau-Lavie, a gay Israeli descendant of rabbis who becomes one himself.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descendant 
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Adjective
Fitzjames is the second expedition member to be identified from descendant DNA.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
The integrative approach of the study led to the exciting identification of the exact event that triggered the signals: the Dickson Fjord rockslide, megatsunami and the descendant waves that persisted.
—Carly Miller, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Noun
For instance, this is where the last slave ship was brought illegally to the U.S., and the descendants of those on board are still fighting for racial justice today.
—Debbie Elliott, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024
Docs out today follow artists in Ukraine, women in Afghanistan, South African photographer Ernest Cole and Amichai Lau-Lavie, a gay Israeli descendant of rabbis who becomes one himself.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descendant
Dictionary Entries Near descendant
Cite this Entry
“Descendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descendant. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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