Noun

Singular genealogy

Plural countable and uncountable; plural genealogies

genealogy (countable and uncountable; plural genealogies)

1. (countable) The descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors; lineage or pedigree.
2. (countable) A record or table of such descent; a family tree.
3. (uncountable) The study, and formal recording of such descents.

Genealogy (from Greek: γενεά, genea, "generation"; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge") is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives.

The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motivations, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.

Some scholars differentiate between genealogy and family history, limiting genealogy to an account of kinship, while using "family history" to denote the provision of additional details about lives and historical context.