a person, plant or animal that comes from an ancestor
example
There has always been a person on the media who claims to be the direct descendant of a king, queen or an emperor.
synonyms
heiroffspringkin
word origin — late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘deriving from an ancestor’): partly from French, present participle of descendre ‘to descend’ and partly from Latin, present participle of descendere ‘to descend’ (see descend). The noun dates from the mid 16th century
descendant, ancestor, applicant, governor, opponent: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 words from Upper-Intermediate set 99. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
descendant · noun/dəˈsɛnd(ə)nt/
a person, plant or animal that comes from an ancestor
There has always been a person on the media who claims to be the direct descendant of a king, queen or an emperor.
Synonyms: heir, offspring, kin
Origin: late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘deriving from an ancestor’): partly from French, present participle of descendre ‘to descend’ and partly from Latin, present participle of descendere ‘to descend’ (see descend). The noun dates from the mid 16th century
ancestor · noun/ˈænˌsɛstər/
a family member who lived long ago or an animal which modern animals developed from
Many scientists believe that Miacis, a weasel like animal, could be the common ancestor of cats and dogs.
Synonyms: predecessor, forebear
Origin: Middle English: from Old French ancestre, from Latin antecessor, from antecedere, from ante ‘before’ + cedere ‘go’
applicant · noun/ˈæplək(ə)nt/
a person who formally applies for a job, place, or opportunity
Each applicant in the interview was asked to give a demo lesson to the jury in order to show their teaching skills.
Synonyms: candidate, seeker
Origin: early 17th century (as an adjective in the sense ‘applying or conferring something’): from Latin applicant-, from the verb applicare (see apply) + -ant. The sense ‘a person who makes formal application’ dates from the late 18th century
governor · noun/ˈɡəv(ə)nər/
an official who governs a state, region, or organization
In Australia, each state governor is appointed by the Queen on advice of a political leader.
Synonyms: administrator, manager, chief
Origin: Middle English: from Old French governeour, from Latin gubernator, from gubernare (see govern)
opponent · noun/əˈpoʊnənt/
a person or group that competes with or opposes another
Many candidates refuse to participate in a live talk show with the opponent on TV as they may be afraid of losing temper.
Synonyms: competitor, rival, enemy
Origin: late 16th century (denoting a person opening an academic debate by proposing objections to a philosophical or religious thesis): from Latin opponent- ‘setting against’, from the verb opponere, from ob- ‘against’ + ponere ‘place’