diff --git a/include/polyscope/group.h b/include/polyscope/group.h
index 822a7a11..e5ffff1e 100644
--- a/include/polyscope/group.h
+++ b/include/polyscope/group.h
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ class Group : public virtual WeakReferrable {
                   // buildUI() for all children.
 
   // Is the group being displayed (0 no, 1 some children, 2 all children)
-  int isEnabled();                    // checks ALL descendents
-  Group* setEnabled(bool newEnabled); // updates setting for ALL descendents
+  int isEnabled();                    // checks ALL descendants
+  Group* setEnabled(bool newEnabled); // updates setting for ALL descendants
 
   void addChildGroup(Group& newChild);
   void addChildStructure(Structure& newChild);
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class Group : public virtual WeakReferrable {
   bool isRootGroup();
   Group* getTopLevelGrandparent();
   void appendStructuresToSkip(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet);
-  void appendAllDescendents(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet);
+  void appendAllDescendants(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet);
 
   std::string niceName();
   std::string uniqueName();
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ class Group : public virtual WeakReferrable {
   Group* setShowChildDetails(bool newVal);
   bool getShowChildDetails();
 
-  Group* setHideDescendentsFromStructureLists(bool newVal);
-  bool getHideDescendentsFromStructureLists();
+  Group* setHideDescendantsFromStructureLists(bool newVal);
+  bool getHideDescendantsFromStructureLists();
 
   // === Member variables ===
   WeakHandle<Group> parentGroup; // the parent group of this group (if null, this is a root group)
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class Group : public virtual WeakReferrable {
   // = State
 
   PersistentValue<bool> showChildDetails;
-  PersistentValue<bool> hideDescendentsFromStructureLists;
+  PersistentValue<bool> hideDescendantsFromStructureLists;
 
   // helpers
   void cullExpiredChildren(); // remove any child
diff --git a/src/group.cpp b/src/group.cpp
index 7c0b9e91..2b948778 100644
--- a/src/group.cpp
+++ b/src/group.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace polyscope {
 
 Group::Group(std::string name_)
     : name(name_), showChildDetails(uniqueName() + "showChildDetails", true),
-      hideDescendentsFromStructureLists(uniqueName() + "hideDescendentsFromStructureLists", false) {}
+      hideDescendantsFromStructureLists(uniqueName() + "hideDescendantsFromStructureLists", false) {}
 
 Group::~Group() {
   // unparent all children
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ void Group::buildUI() {
         if (ImGui::MenuItem("Show child details", NULL, getShowChildDetails())) {
           setShowChildDetails(!getShowChildDetails());
         }
-        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Hide descendents from structure lists", NULL, getHideDescendentsFromStructureLists())) {
-          setHideDescendentsFromStructureLists(!getHideDescendentsFromStructureLists());
+        if (ImGui::MenuItem("Hide descendants from structure lists", NULL, getHideDescendantsFromStructureLists())) {
+          setHideDescendantsFromStructureLists(!getHideDescendantsFromStructureLists());
         }
         ImGui::EndPopup();
       }
@@ -260,16 +260,16 @@ void Group::cullExpiredChildren() {
 }
 
 void Group::appendStructuresToSkip(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet) {
-  if (getHideDescendentsFromStructureLists()) {
-    appendAllDescendents(skipSet);
+  if (getHideDescendantsFromStructureLists()) {
+    appendAllDescendants(skipSet);
   }
 }
 
-void Group::appendAllDescendents(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet) {
+void Group::appendAllDescendants(std::unordered_set<Structure*>& skipSet) {
   for (WeakHandle<Group>& childWeak : childrenGroups) {
     if (childWeak.isValid()) {
       Group& child = childWeak.get();
-      child.appendAllDescendents(skipSet);
+      child.appendAllDescendants(skipSet);
     }
   }
 
@@ -304,11 +304,11 @@ Group* Group::setShowChildDetails(bool newVal) {
 }
 bool Group::getShowChildDetails() { return showChildDetails.get(); }
 
-Group* Group::setHideDescendentsFromStructureLists(bool newVal) {
-  hideDescendentsFromStructureLists = newVal;
+Group* Group::setHideDescendantsFromStructureLists(bool newVal) {
+  hideDescendantsFromStructureLists = newVal;
   return this;
 }
-bool Group::getHideDescendentsFromStructureLists() { return hideDescendentsFromStructureLists.get(); }
+bool Group::getHideDescendantsFromStructureLists() { return hideDescendantsFromStructureLists.get(); }
 
 bool Group::isRootGroup() { return !parentGroup.isValid(); }
 
diff --git a/test/src/group_test.cpp b/test/src/group_test.cpp
index 29e8ce99..dd525d5b 100644
--- a/test/src/group_test.cpp
+++ b/test/src/group_test.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ TEST_F(PolyscopeTest, TestDocsExample) {
 
   // hide items in group from displaying in the UI
   // (useful if you are registering huge numbers of structures you don't always need to see)
-  group->setHideDescendentsFromStructureLists(true);
+  group->setHideDescendantsFromStructureLists(true);
   group->setShowChildDetails(false);
 
   // nest groups inside of other groups