Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
lineal [lin-ee-uh l] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for lineal on Thesaurus.com adjective
- being in the direct line, as a descendant or ancestor, or in a direct line, as descent or succession.
- of or transmitted by lineal descent.
- linear.
Origin of lineal First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word līneālis. See line1, -al1 Related formslin·e·al·ly, adverbmul·ti·lin·e·al, adjectivenon·lin·e·al, adjectiveun·lin·e·al, adjective Related Words for lineal genetic, national, tribal, short, straightforward, solid, smooth, successive, consecutive, nonstop, true, personal, immediate, familial, inborn, even, right, vertical, level, invariable Examples from the Web for lineal Contemporary Examples of lineal
Dr No — the lineal descendant of Fu Manchu—is the epitome of evil.
James Bond is Back But is He Any Good without Fleming?
Robert McCrum
October 5, 2013
Historical Examples of lineal
The father had descended for the son, For only you are lineal to the throne.
The Comedies of William Congreve
William Congreve
The granddaughter, the only lineal descendant of the dead man, was still his wife.
Anthony Trollope
The German sniper is really a lineal descendant of the impenitent thief.
J. A. Currie
It is said that a lineal descendant of Emperor Maximilian was so bound in Georgia.
Jean Thomas
He must have been a Hebrew and a lineal descendant of Hebrew parents.
The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyer’s Standpoint, Vol. I (of II)
Walter M. Chandler
British Dictionary definitions for lineal lineal adjective
- being in a direct line of descent from an ancestor
- of, involving, or derived from direct descent
- a less common word for linear
Derived Formslineally, adverbWord Origin for lineal C14: via Old French from Late Latin līneālis, from Latin līnea line 1 Word Origin and History for lineal adj.
late 14c., from Old French lineal (14c.), from Late Latin linealis “pertaining to a line,” from linea (see line (n.)). Related: Lineally.