Why the Alaska class fits armored-cruiser lineage

Was the Alaska class a battlecruiser or a large cruiser?

It was best understood as the last armored cruiser, enlarged from cruiser lineage rather than cut down from a battleship.

Convergent appearance does not settle a ship's design lineage. Heavy cruisers inherited elements of both protected and armoured cruisers, rather than descending from battleships. Alaska extends that cruiser family upward in size, protection, and gun power. Her similarity to a battlecruiser comes from two design paths approaching a similar large surface combatant. Writing battle cruiser as two words preserves the distinction from a battleship-derived battlecruiser.