Descent
Descent noun - The line of ancestors from whom a person is descended.
Usage example: a person of Finnish descent
Origin is a synonym for descent in ancestry topic. In some cases you can use "Origin" instead a noun "Descent", when it comes to topics like kin, start, extraction, bloodline. popular alternative
Origin
Origin noun - The line of ancestors from whom a person is descended.
Usage example: they could trace their origins back 15 generations
Descent is a synonym for origin in ancestry topic. You can use "Descent" instead a noun "Origin", if it concerns topics such as family, kin, bloodline. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
- Aerith and Bob: Among humans, those of Auroran descent are the Aeriths, while those of Federation descent are the Bobs (stretching "Bob" to include all Earth-origin names, not just English ones).
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Magma: Depending on her origin of mixed Roman and Amerindian descent, also Palaeopagan.
Source: Twofer Token Minority - Green Lantern Kyle Rayner was established for a long time in his origin as being the son of a single mother and of Irish descent.
Cite this Source
Origin and Descent. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/descent/origin
Descent & Origin. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/descent/origin>.
Origin or Descent. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/descent/origin.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "descent" and "origin" have occurred on timeline