ancestral

adjective

an·​ces·​tral an-ˈse-strəl How to pronounce ancestral (audio)
: of, relating to, or inherited from an ancestor
ancestral estates
ancestrally adverb

Examples of ancestral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some when famine struck, like my ancestral family in Ireland. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Merit is forced to confront her grief over Zoe’s death when her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris), a fellow vet, needs help at the family’s ancestral lake house. Selome Hailu, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 In her effort to resuscitate an ancestral practice, Gomez has interviewed and recorded family members to learn the art herself. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 This reverence stemmed from ancestral pride; Mencken’s paternal grandfather came from Saxony. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024 Resolution is also working to preserve and nurture other plants culturally important to tribes as well as caring for seeps, springs and waterways on properties the mine owns as wall as preserving ancestral sites. The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Mask Cavin-Morris Gallery, B12 After retreating from the temptations of Paris to an ancestral home in the Auvergne, Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens began making art from materials found on the land or nearby farms. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Known as the Gullah Geechee, the community has preserved remnants of its African heritage through food, rituals and art—including Dawley’s ancestral song. Joshua Kagavi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Related Articles Native Americans hope new laws push Bay Area museums and universities to return ancestral remains This concern is a pretext for suppression of controversial faculty speech. Ty Alper, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ancestral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ancestral was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ancestral

Cite this Entry

“Ancestral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestral. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ancestral

adjective
an·​ces·​tral an-ˈses-trəl How to pronounce ancestral (audio)
: of, relating to, or developed from an ancestor
ancestral home
ancestrally adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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