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Forebear (also spelled, less commonly, as forbear) was first used by our ancestors in the days of Middle English. Fore- means "coming before," just as in forefather, and -bear means "one that is." This -bear is not to be confused with the -bear in the unrelated verb forbear, which comes from Old English beran, meaning "to bear or carry." The -bear in the noun forebear is a combination of be-, from the verb be (or, more specifically, from been, an old dialect variant of be), and -ar, a form of the suffix -er, which we append to verbs to denote one that performs a specified action. In this case the "action" is simply existing or being—in other words, -bear implies one who is a "be-er."
Examples of forebear in a Sentence
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
My Jewish forebears had got the hell out of Eastern Europe in time.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
But the infusion of Audi sensibilities in no way makes the Gallardo a less exciting Lamborghini than its forebears.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
Bloc Party and Fugazi have been mentioned as forebears to the band’s vibe, but Paul Adamah, the Swedish band’s frontman, is a formidable force to be reckoned with completely on his own terms.
—Sarah Moroz, Pitchfork, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forebear. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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