Descended

Descended is the past participle of the verb descend and, when used as an adjective, indicates that someone or something originated from a particular source or lineage. In genealogical and historical contexts, it is commonly paired with from to express ancestry, as in “She is descended from a long line of sailors.” It can also describe a downward movement or transition, such as “the crowd descended into chaos,” where it signals a shift to a lower or more chaotic state. As a verb, descended is the simple past and past participle form of descend.

Etymology and usage develop from the verb descend, which in turn derives from Old French descendre, from Latin descendere, literally “to go down” (de- meaning down, scandere meaning to climb). The sense of moving downward formed the core meaning in English, while the figurative sense of ancestry emerged through phrasing like “descended from.” Over time, descended has become a common part of both literal and figurative constructions in English.

Related terms include descent (the act or process of descending or one’s lineage), and descendant (a person who is descended from a particular ancestor). The spelling descended is contrasted with descendant, which denotes a person or thing that comes after another in a family line. The term can appear in legal, historical, or literary contexts, where precision about lineage or movement is required.