Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

descendant

/dɪˈsɛndənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.30 in modern English

Syllables
des-cen-dant
IPA
/dɪˈsɛndənt/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Descending; going down.

adj

Descending from a biological ancestor.

adj

Proceeding from a figurative ancestor or source.

noun

One of the progeny of a specified person, at any distance of time or through any number of generations.

noun

A thing that derives directly from a given precursor or source.

noun

A later evolutionary type.

noun

A language that is descended from another.

noun

A word or form in one language that is descended from a counterpart in an ancestor language.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English dessendaunte, borrowed from Middle French, from Latin dēscendēns, present participle of descendere, from dē + scandere (“to climb, ascend”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: dessendaunte, -, dēscendēns

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /dɪˈsɛndənt/
  • British English: /dɪˈsɛndənt/

Inflected Forms

descendent (alternative) descendants (plural)

Derived Forms

Afrodescendant descendantless nondescendant

Phrases

direct descendant indirect descendant

Frequently Paired Words

descendancy offspring offshoot progeny cognate

Synonyms

reflex derivative afterbear offspring scion and see Thesaurus:child & relative descendent

Antonyms

ancestor progenitor forefather foremother etymon ascendant ascendent ascending montant forebear

Rhymes With

independent dependent defendant superintendent attendant pendant transcendent ascendant resplendent interdependent descendent superintendant

Questions

How do you pronounce descendant?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈsɛndənt/.
What does descendant mean?
Descending; going down.
Where does descendant come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce descendant

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “descendant”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈsɛndənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “descendant”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “descendant” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.