1
b
: transmission or devolution of an estate (see estate entry 1 sense 4b) by inheritance usually in the descending line
c
: the fact or process of originating from an ancestral stock
the descent of modern humans and chimpanzees from a common ancestor
d
: the shaping or development in nature and character by transmission from a source : derivation
… could trace a faint but sure descent from Roman law.—R. W. Southern
2
: the act or process of descending from a higher to a lower level, rank, or state
begin our descent down the mountain
3
: a step downward in a scale of gradation
specifically
: one generation in an ancestral line or genealogical scale
His pedigree shows eleven descents.
4
5
6
: a downward step (as in station or value) : decline
the descent of the family into poverty
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descent. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
