What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
descendance
Example
The descendance of the royal family can be traced back to the 10th century. [descendance: noun]
Example
She was proud of her Native American descendance and often shared stories of her ancestors. [descendance: noun]
descent
Example
The hikers began their descent down the steep mountain trail. [descent: noun]
Example
The English language has many words that have descended from Latin. [descended: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Descent is more commonly used than descendance in everyday language. Descent is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while descendance is less common and is typically used in academic or formal settings.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between descendance and descent?
Descendance is generally considered more formal than descent, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
