family tree
Genealogical branching diagram
A family tree is a diagram showing the relationships among members of a family across generations, with lines connecting parents to children and branching outward through time.
The metaphor captures how descendants branch from common ancestors like limbs from a trunk.
More loosely, family tree can mean one's ancestry or lineage: There are a lot of doctors in her family tree.
Those from whom one descends
- forebearsAncestral family members
- progenitorsOriginal ancestors of a lineage
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- lineageDescent from progenitors
origins · forefathers · foremothers · patriarchs · matriarchs · clan · heritage · roots
Study of family descent
- recordsStored data or albums
- archivesStored historical documents
- censusOfficial population count
- documentsFormal written records
birth certificates · marriage records · vital records · obituaries · church records · immigration records · wills · deeds
Biological descendants produced
- progenyOne's biological descendants
- childrenYoung human beings
- grandchildrenOffspring of offspring
- great-grandchildrenGrandkids' offspring
heirs · posterity · successors · issue · scions · generations · legacy · continuation
Record of descent
- chartData shown visually
- genealogicalPertaining to lineage study
- branchesLimbs of trees
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
schematic · cladogram · dendrogram · flowchart · structure · nodes · generations · lines
Hereditary code molecule
- heredityGenetic trait transmission
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- chromosomesGene-bearing nuclear structures
- haplogroupGenetic ancestry classification
mitochondrial · Y-chromosome · traits · genetic markers · mutations · genetic genealogy · paternity · maternity
State of being related
- siblingsFellow offspring
- parentsMother and father
- grandparentsAncestors once removed
- cousinsRelatives through shared grandparents
uncles · aunts · nephews · nieces · in-laws · spouses · relatives · stepfamily
Collective social practices
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- homelandOne's native land
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
heirlooms · legacy · nationality · language · folklore · recipes · ceremonies · migration
ancestors
Those from whom one descends
- forebearsAncestral family members
- progenitorsOriginal ancestors of a lineage
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
lineage · origins · forefathers · foremothers · patriarchs · matriarchs · clan · heritage · roots · stock
genealogy
Study of family descent
documents · birth certificates · marriage records · vital records · obituaries · church records · immigration records · wills · deeds · genealogist
offspring
Biological descendants produced
- progenyOne's biological descendants
- childrenYoung human beings
- grandchildrenOffspring of offspring
great-grandchildren · heirs · posterity · successors · issue · scions · generations · legacy · continuation · proliferation
pedigree
Record of descent
- chartData shown visually
- genealogicalPertaining to lineage study
- branchesLimbs of trees
hierarchy · schematic · cladogram · dendrogram · flowchart · structure · nodes · generations · lines · visual
DNA
Hereditary code molecule
- heredityGenetic trait transmission
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- chromosomesGene-bearing nuclear structures
haplogroup · mitochondrial · Y-chromosome · traits · genetic markers · mutations · genetic genealogy · paternity · maternity · biological
kinship
State of being related
- siblingsFellow offspring
- parentsMother and father
- grandparentsAncestors once removed
cousins · uncles · aunts · nephews · nieces · in-laws · spouses · relatives · stepfamily · half-siblings
culture
Collective social practices
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- homelandOne's native land
customs · heirlooms · legacy · nationality · language · folklore · recipes · ceremonies · migration · diaspora
- biographybirth, death date, autobiography, life story, biography
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- diagramsflowchart, labeled diagram, Venn diagram, cross section, cross-section
- kinshipmother, father, sister, brother, children
- ancestryancestors, kinship, ancestor, clan, ancestry
- baby bookfirst steps, first words, first smile, first tooth, birth weight
family treepersonal history
Account of someone's life
autobiography · life story · solitary life · obituary · personal narrative
family treeorphan
Child whose parents died
foundling · rootlessness · anonymity · blank slate · disconnection
family, tree, familiar, unfamiliar, familiarity, families, familial, treetop, familiarize