What is a Descendant in Genealogy?

In genealogy, a descendant is someone who is related to another person through a direct line of descent. This means that the descendant is the child or grandchild of the person being studied, and so on.

For example, if we are studying the family of John Smith, his children would be his descendants, as they are directly related to him through birth. His grandchildren would also be his descendants, as they are the children of his children. And so on.

The term "descendant" can be used to describe anyone who is related to a particular person through a direct line of descent, no matter how many generations removed they may be. So, if you are studying the family of John Smith, and one of his great-great-grandchildren is alive today, that person would still be considered a descendant of John Smith.