Which term refers to groups of people with certain ancestry and shared characteristics?

The term that accurately refers to groups of people with certain ancestry and shared characteristics is ethnicity. Ethnicity encompasses cultural factors such as nationality, culture, language, and heritage. It highlights the shared identity among groups based on common aspects of their background, including traditions and societal norms that may not be tied to physical attributes alone.

In contrast, race typically refers to categories based on physical characteristics, such as skin color or facial features, rather than shared cultural traits and ancestry. Culture encompasses the social behaviors, beliefs, and practices of a particular group, but does not specifically address shared ancestry in the same way that ethnicity does. Nationality refers to the legal relationship between an individual and a state, often serving to denote citizenship rather than shared ethnic or cultural ties.