What does genealogy mean?
Genealogy is the study and documentation of family descent, identifying how people are related through parents, grandparents, and earlier generations. It can refer both to the research itself and to the resulting history or record of a family line, often represented as a family tree. The word is especially associated with historical research, archival records, biographies, and the study of inherited characteristics, although a genealogy need not focus on biological traits alone. Genealogists commonly work with census documents, civil records, church registers, family papers, and other historical sources to establish relationships and trace lineages. In general use, genealogy carries a scholarly but personal connotation, suggesting both careful investigation and a connection with heritage. It is also broader than pedigree, which often emphasizes ancestors or inherited status, and distinct from biography, which describes an individual's life more broadly. The term is useful whenever a family history or the evidence for relationships over time needs to be examined systematically.
nounThe history or record of a family line of descent, including the relationships and ancestors of a person or family. It may also refer to the study of family descent and the evidence used to establish it.
- The history or record of a family line of descent.
- The study or investigation of family descent and relationships.
"She spent years tracing her genealogy through parish records and family papers."
"The museum's archive contains extensive genealogy for families who lived in the region."
"Tracing her genealogy revealed connections with several distant cousins."
The regular plural is formed by adding -ies to the singular.
"The library preserves genealogies of several prominent families."
Your family tree is only a snapshot; genealogy is the research that connects its branches.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of genealogy
Genealogy entered English through Latin genealogia, a borrowing of the Greek genealogia, meaning a study of descent or lineage. Greek formed the word from genea, referring to birth, race, or descent, and -logia, meaning the study of. Related English words such as generation, generate, generic, and genesis reflect the same wider linguistic family concerned with birth, production, and kind.
Related word forms
How genealogy is actually used
The word is primarily formal and scholarly. In everyday use, it often means the history of a family, while in academic and archival contexts it can denote the systematic study of descent and inheritance.
Easily confused with genealogy
A biography describes a person's life, whereas a genealogy focuses specifically on descent and family relationships.
A pedigree often emphasizes a line of ancestors and inherited characteristics, while genealogy can encompass the broader history and documentation of a family.