Usage Note
Descendant refers to a person who descends from an ancestor — children, grandchildren, and beyond. The feminine form is descendante. It contrasts with ancêtre (ancestor) and ascendant (ascendant/ancestor). In astrology l'ascendant and le descendant are opposite points on the birth chart.
Examples
"Il est le descendant d'une famille noble."
Natural Translation
He is the descendant of a noble family.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
5 min read
FrenchNow
7 min read