descendent

A descendent, more commonly spelled descendant, is a person, lineal relative, or organism that has descended from a particular ancestor or origin. In genealogy, a descendant is someone who occupies a position in the direct line of descent from an ancestor, such as a child, grandchild, or further-generation descendant. The term can also be used more broadly to refer to any organism that shares a common ancestor with another, or to objects, ideas, or institutions that have originated from a source.

The word comes from the Latin descendere “to descend” and entered English through Old French. The standard modern spelling is descendant in most varieties of English; descendent is a recognized variant, found in older texts and in some regional spellings. In contemporary writing, descendant is generally preferred for most contexts.

In genealogy, distinguishing between lineal and collateral descendants clarifies relationships. Lineal descendants span the direct lineage (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren), while collateral descendants descend from a common ancestor but not through a direct line, such as the descendants of a sibling.

In biology and anthropology, descent describes genealogical relationships among living beings, with evolutionary lineages traced by shared ancestry. The concept of descent also appears in law and culture, where rights or status can depend on descent from particular ancestors, groups, or cultures.