lineal

adjective

lin·​e·​al ˈli-nē-əl 

1

: linear

2

: composed of or arranged in lines

3

a

: consisting of or being in a direct male or female line of ancestry compare collateral sense 2

b

: relating to or derived from ancestors : hereditary

c

: descended in a direct line

4

a

: belonging to one lineage

lineal relatives

b

: of, relating to, or dealing with a lineage

lineality

ˌli-nē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

lineally

ˈli-nē-ə-lē 

adverb

Examples of lineal in a Sentence

He claims that he is a lineal descendent of a famous military hero.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of those kickoff times owe to the preferences of FOX or TSN, the league’s lineal TV partners in the U.S. and Canada. —Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

The stories are set in different years, but are not organized in a lineal manner. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2024

And then — after a world-class performance against lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and a loss against Anthony Joshua — Ngannou suffered tragedy when his 15-month-old son died in April. —Mark Puleo, The Athletic, 7 Aug. 2024

According to the official announcement, demo teams laid 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord through both the Paradise and Club Towers prior to implosion. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lineal

adjective

lin·​eal

ˈlin-ē-əl

1

: linear

lineal measure

2

a

: consisting of or being in a direct line of descent

b

: hereditary sense 3

lineally

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

Legal Definition

lineal

adjective

lin·​e·​al ˈli-nē-əl 

: consisting of or being in a direct male or female line of ancestry

a lineal descendant

compare collateral sense 2