ANCESTOR Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestor

noun

ˈan-ˌse-stər

Definition of ancestor

as in grandfather

a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forerunner

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ancestor At the site, excavators found stone tools alongside bones of ancient elephants — and the recent paper, written by archaeologists and paleoanthropologists, suggests the remains were likely deliberately butchered by early human ancestors. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 They were joined by Ichabod and Tom Osborn, planters whose ancestors had settled in the area a century before, and who contributed a few dogs of their own to the pack. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 Through the project, Tad Kelly found that the plantation’s owners, his ancestors, had enslaved at least 72 people on the plantation in 1860 — a fact that came as a shock to him. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 Like an act of poetic atonement, America sent the great-great-great-great-grandson of a slave back, as a diplomat, to the country whence his ancestor had been kidnapped. — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor

Noun

Vance is set to speak at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility, which was known as Armco Steel when his grandfather James Vance worked there for nearly 40 years.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
As for Harris, her grandfather's brick now has a place of honor at home.

— Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Vernon, meanwhile, is encouraging people to remember that there was a man, a husband and father behind the headlines.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
His six children inherited the franchise through a family trust, with Jeanie continuing to oversee the team’s business operations and succeeding her father as the Lakers’ representative on the NBA Board of Governors.

— Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of father

Noun

Xi made the comments at a landmark speech marking the centenary of the birth of one of his predecessors – Jiang Zemin, who was China’s leader from 1993 to 2002.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Minter plays it safe For all the questions about how Minter’s first training camp has differed from John Harbaugh’s, the first-year head coach handled the first preseason game much like his predecessor — with extreme caution.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of predecessor

Noun

If a major manufacturer takes what these students have learned and turns it into something that can be built at scale, the impact could reach far beyond this prototype.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Developed by Cleora with 3D-printing contractor True North and technology provider RIC Robotics, the project aims to demonstrate that robotic construction can move beyond prototypes and support entire neighborhoods.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of prototype

Browse Nearby Words

anatomy

ancestor

ancestors

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“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestor

noun

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