descent in a line from a common progenitor. b : derivation the gun's direct lineage is in the 1960s— Erik Larson. 2 : a group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor especially : such a group of persons whose common ancestor is regarded as its founder.
• lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree.
• a sequence of species each of which is considered to have evolved from its predecessor.
