descend from

verb

descended from; descending from; descends from
: to have (something or someone in the past) as an origin or source
Recent evidence supports the theory that birds descended from dinosaurs.
The plants descend from a common ancestor.
They claim to be descended from a noble British family.

Examples of descend from in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Fathom – and the cars descended from it – has already cost Ford around $5 billion. Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Opposite, the Kotor Cat Museum helps fund the care of the town’s cats, reputedly descended from mousers brought ashore by Venetian sailors. Jonathan Wiggin, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Aug. 2026 Later, the Astro Toilets, a more powerful force, descend from space and a civil war erupts. Kyle MacNeill, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026 Madonna descended from a life-sized wedding cake and rolled around the stage in a white bridal gown, a controversial number that would become one of many career-defining moments. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for descend from

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Descend from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend%20from. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster