ENGLISH
REFERENCE

genealogical

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌdʒiniɑˈɫɔdʒɪkəɫ// UK //dʒˌiːnɪˈælˈɒdʒɪkəl// ge·nealog·i·cal

adj. relating to the study of family history and how people are connected to their ancestors.

adj. relating to the study or investigation of family lineages and history. Often describes research into ancestry or the tracing of descent from a common progenitor.


SIMPLE

She spent years doing genealogical research on her family.

CONTEXTUAL

The local library offers access to genealogical records that help residents trace their family trees back several centuries.

COMPLEX

Advances in DNA testing have revolutionised genealogical studies, allowing individuals to confirm biological connections that traditional paper records may have obscured or omitted entirely.

Synonyms
Origin

From French généalogique + -al, equivalent to genealogy + -ical.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun like 'research', 'records', or 'tree'.

Pitfall

my genealogical treemy family treeWhile 'genealogical' is technically correct, 'family tree' is the standard idiomatic expression in everyday English.

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