Which term refers to relatives in the generation below the decedent?

• A. Ancestors
• B. Collateral relatives
• C. Descendants
• D. Heirs

Answer: (C)

Descendants are the people in the direct downward line from the decedent—children, grandchildren, and so on. So when we say relatives in the generation below, we’re talking about those who come after the decedent in the family line, not before or side branches.

Ancestors are the generation above (parents, grandparents). Collateral relatives are related by blood but not in the direct line of descent (siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles). Heirs is a broader term for people who may inherit under a will or by law, which can include descendants but also others depending on the rules of intestacy or specific bequests.

So the term that best fits “relatives in the generation below the decedent” is descendants.