noun
scion
SEYE-uhn
Scion (noun) means a descendant of a notable or wealthy family, especially the first generation. Example: “He is the scion of a famous banking dynasty.”
noun
1
A descendant of a notable or wealthy family, especially the first generation.
"It also made her the target of angry derision back in South Korea, where Ms. Cho is the scion of one of the wealthy families that control much of South Korea’s export-driven economy."
— Martin Fackler, Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Executive at Korean Airlines Over ‘Nut Rage’ (2014)
"He could show his parents Eliot, scion of Derek Moulthorp, and then how could they say he was throwing his life away?"
— David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes (1986)
"He is the scion of a famous banking dynasty."
"Her father, Carter Burden Sr., was a handsome scion of the Vanderbilt dynasty."
— Alex Kuczynski, Her Life Was an Old-Money Dream. It Collapsed in a Moment (2026)
2
A cutting or shoot from a plant, used for grafting onto another plant.
"The gardener grafted a scion from the old apple tree onto new rootstock."
How to use scion
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a young member of a distinguished family, or literally a cutting from a plant used in grafting.
Common pairings
scion of a family
graft a scion
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Word forms
- Plural
- scions
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He is the _____ of a famous banking dynasty.
Etymology
From Old French cion, ultimately from a Frankish word meaning "sprout" — the family sense grew out of the idea of a new shoot springing from an old family tree.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for scion
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
selection
See all rhymes for scion →
Frequently asked questions
What does “scion” mean?
The word “scion” means a descendant of a notable or wealthy family, especially the first generation. In plain terms, either a young member of a distinguished family, or literally a cutting from a plant used in grafting.
How do you pronounce “scion”?
“Scion” is pronounced SEYE-uhn (/ˈsaɪ.ən/ in IPA).
How do you use “scion” in a sentence?
Here is “scion” used in a sentence: “He is the scion of a famous banking dynasty.”
What part of speech is “scion”?
“Scion” is a noun.
Where does the word “scion” come from?
The word “scion” comes from Old French. From Old French cion, ultimately from a Frankish word meaning "sprout" — the family sense grew out of the idea of a new shoot springing from an old family tree.
How many meanings does “scion” have?
“Scion” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a descendant of a notable or wealthy family, especially the first generation.
