as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
our forefathers bought this farm, and our family has worked it for three generations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 forefather
My forefathers helped form the Soviet identity and its rituals, even before there was a country to promote them.
—
Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
But the Nelsons — Lukas and his dad, the outlaw country forefather Willie — are no ordinary family.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Markus — whose great-great-great-grandfather invented the nutcracker doll — makes nutcrackers for a living, as did each of his forefathers who descended from the great inventor.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
The military forefathers of the Valley must have been horrified at the hippies their children became, though by the eighties the arc of flower power had bent toward the common ground of Wall Street.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
But the Nelsons — Lukas and his dad, the outlaw country forefather Willie — are no ordinary family.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Markus — whose great-great-great-grandfather invented the nutcracker doll — makes nutcrackers for a living, as did each of his forefathers who descended from the great inventor.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
The military forefathers of the Valley must have been horrified at the hippies their children became, though by the eighties the arc of flower power had bent toward the common ground of Wall Street.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
-
This is the gift of our ancestors, the capacity to turn towards a threat and engage with it as part of the strategy of disarming it.—
Susan Raffo,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Celebrated by over 2 billion people — primarily in East and Southeast Asian cultures — Lunar New Year focuses on family reunions, honoring ancestors and welcoming good fortune and prosperity into the coming year.—
Ashley Opina,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Angel Hernandez, Trinidad’s husband and the children’s grandfather, was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
-
After her grandmother shared a secret before her death — that her grandfather had another lover — Kana unexpectedly reconnects with an old love, Hiro.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But while Gu hailed from a wealthy family that spent time in both the US and China, Liu’s father fled China after helping to lead the Tiananmen democracy protests, which China’s Communist Party cracked down on brutally.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Osmond, her siblings, and her father were what scientists call natural short sleepers.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
