1. a person who is related to someone who lived in the past; offspring of an ancestor

1. moving or directed downward
Usage: formal

Examples

• She is a descendant of Irish immigrants who came to America in the 1800s.
• The museum displays artifacts belonging to descendants of the original settlers.
• Many descendants of the founding families still live in the town.
• He traced his family tree to find his earliest known descendants.
• The descendant path led down the mountainside.
• The descendant motion of the elevator was smooth and quiet.