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
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Recent Examples of forefather
The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away.
—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
The Nuggets forefathers witnessed him before the rest of Denver, as if it was meant to be that Jamal Murray would become one of them.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Yet, without ceasing, another generation of Puerto Ricans pick up the mantle to chant in the streets and fight for their country, out of love for their forefathers and foremothers.
—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
The Philadelphia Art Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and smaller outfits like Eastern State Penitentiary and Historic Germantown will, as expected, reimagine the history of our republic in an homage to the forefathers’ ingenuity.
—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
The Nuggets forefathers witnessed him before the rest of Denver, as if it was meant to be that Jamal Murray would become one of them.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Yet, without ceasing, another generation of Puerto Ricans pick up the mantle to chant in the streets and fight for their country, out of love for their forefathers and foremothers.
—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
The Philadelphia Art Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and smaller outfits like Eastern State Penitentiary and Historic Germantown will, as expected, reimagine the history of our republic in an homage to the forefathers’ ingenuity.
—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
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Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
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One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.
Noun
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Goodhouse recalled stories his grandfather would tell him of their ancestors who were in the Hunkpapa camp when troops attacked.
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For Rohrman, whose family business made its name in the Chicago area with his late grandfather’s low–budget TV commercials, listing his autos on Amazon may be the sales pitch of the future.
Noun
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The news of the arrest caught the attention of the family of Amy McHale, a woman who was once married to Horsch’s father and disappeared nearly 10 years ago.
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Her oldest sister, Sonia Gonzalez, said Gonzalez reminds her a lot of their father, who reinvented himself many times over the years.
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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