ancestral
adjective
an·ces·tral
an-ˈse-strəl 
: of, relating to, or inherited from an ancestor
ancestral estates
Examples of ancestral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Maasai depend on livestock for their livelihood and lost much of their ancestral grazing land when the British colonial government created the reserve in 1961.
—
Bygeoffrey Kamadi, science.org, 10 Sep. 2024
California also made progress toward the goal through its first-ever ancestral land return effort, which provided $100 million in grant funding for the return of roughly 38,950 acres to Indigenous communities.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
History of Texas Canyon This region was part of the ancestral homeland of the Chiricahua Apache people.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2024
If Sutter represents the psychological trauma that still possesses their family, then ancestral music is the force that can set them free.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestral 
Bygeoffrey Kamadi, science.org, 10 Sep. 2024
California also made progress toward the goal through its first-ever ancestral land return effort, which provided $100 million in grant funding for the return of roughly 38,950 acres to Indigenous communities.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
History of Texas Canyon This region was part of the ancestral homeland of the Chiricahua Apache people.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2024
If Sutter represents the psychological trauma that still possesses their family, then ancestral music is the force that can set them free.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestral
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ancestral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ancestral
Cite this Entry
“Ancestral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestral. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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ancestral
adjective
an·ces·tral
an-ˈses-trəl
: of, relating to, or developed from an ancestor
ancestral home
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