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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
Meena Duerson, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
McBride is less interested in exploring another motivation for saving locks of hair: the particular sentimentalism that made people cherish the hair of loved ones, especially those who had died, or of honored forebears.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
As summer temperatures continue to rise, perhaps Americans will start to look back with envy on the ways our forebears beat the heat.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 26 July 2025
Like his Condé forebears, Graydon had learned to weaponize exclusivity.
—Michael Grynbaum, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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