Word
lineage
Phoneticslin·eage
/ˈɫɪniədʒ/
Definitions
01family descent
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. the series of families that you come from, going back a long time.
n. direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree. Often used in historical or genealogical contexts.
“The king could trace his lineage back to the twelfth century.”
“The researcher spent years in the archives attempting to verify the family's noble lineage through baptismal records and land deeds.”
Synonyms
02biological or evolutionary line
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a group of living things that are related because they developed from the same earlier form.
n. a sequence of species or cells that have evolved from a common ancestor.
“Scientists studied the lineage of the virus to see how it changed.”
“By comparing DNA sequences, biologists can reconstruct the evolutionary lineage of modern birds back to their dinosaur ancestors.”
03payment by line of text
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Technical · Archaic
n. a way of paying a writer based on how many lines of text they write.
n. payment or a fee calculated according to the number of lines of printed or written matter.
“The journalist was paid a small lineage for every column he produced.”
“Before the shift to digital media, many freelance contributors relied on lineage as their primary method of calculating invoice totals.”
Usage
In modern publishing, 'word count' has largely replaced this system.
Real-World Examples
“Then, from LUCA, the bacterial lineage evolved 21 unique ribosomal proteins, while the archaeal lineage evolved 29 unique ribosomal proteins.” “Modern humans carry DNA from two mysterious extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans.” “Using recently developed analytical techniques, they find evidence of a third lineage that we apparently interbred with before any modern humans left Africa.” “Giant daisies repeatedly developed similar heat-tolerant leaf shapes, but each lineage used a different combination of genes.” Etymology
From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/lineage