ancestor
noun
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Definition of ancestor
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Synonyms & Antonyms for ancestor
Synonyms
father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor
Antonyms
descendant (also descendent)
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Examples of ancestor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eel, or kat, was a fundamental resource for Prosper’s ancestors. — Karen Pinchin, Smithsonian, "The Epic Fight Over the Enigmatic Eel," 5 Feb. 2018 With luck, searching for ancestors will someday be as easy as online shopping. — The Economist, "Ancestral longingsAs China rushes forward, more people seek their roots," 11 Jan. 2018 For our far-back ancestors, not looking dumb was an issue of survival. — Cari Romm, The Cut, "A Psychologist Explains How to Conquer Your Fear of Trying New Things," 9 Jan. 2018 Jennifer Raff, University of Kansas assistant professor of anthropology, said DNA companies estimate who you are most closely related to, but migration may have affected where your ancestors actually lived. — Christine Willmsen, The Seattle Times, "Reporter’s DNA ancestry tests ‘caught me off guard’," 13 Sep. 2018 Clades are organisms that have evolved from a common ancestor. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "'Survival of the laziest' is key to avoiding extinction," 22 Aug. 2018 His ancestors lived here for 400 years before that. — Bliss Broyard, Condé Nast Traveler, "I Took My Kids Out Of School for Three Months to Travel," 13 July 2018 At the time that Kelly’s Italian ancestors were living in Boston, there was a large population of both Italian and Irish immigrants. — Philip Bump, BostonGlobe.com, "Immigration crucial part of Kelly’s family history," 12 May 2018 From Jenny Moroney's ancestors, Susan Palmer had the Moroney family tree and could trace Palmer's lineage to one of the 11 children of Thomas Moroney. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer long wondered if he's related to JFK; at 72, he learned the truth," 12 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ancestor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ancestor
ancestor
noun
English Language Learners Definition of ancestor
See the full definition for ancestor in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ancestor
noun
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Kids Definition of ancestor
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