lineage
n. C / Un. the series of families that someone comes from over a long time. It is like a family tree that goes back many generations.
n. direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree. Refers to the continuous line of descent of a person, animal, or plant from a specific ancestor.
She can trace her lineage back to the 18th century.
The historian spent years researching the royal lineage to determine who was the rightful heir to the throne.
Genetic testing has allowed researchers to map the ancient lineage of these indigenous populations, revealing migration patterns that occurred thousands of years before recorded history.
From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age.
Uncountable when referring to the general concept of ancestry; countable when referring to specific distinct lines of descent.