progenitor

noun

pro·​gen·​i·​tor prō-ˈje-nə-tər 

prə-

1

a

: an ancestor in the direct line : forefather

b

: a biologically ancestral form

2

: precursor, originator

… progenitors of socialist ideas.

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

progenitor cells

Synonyms of progenitor

• ancestor
• grandfather
• father

Examples of progenitor in a Sentence

the progenitors of modern art

wild cats that were the progenitors of the house cat

Recent Examples on the Web

More interesting is how Rocky feels he’s been underrated as a progenitor of modern rap style. —Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 19 Jan. 2026

That’s the newest creation from these savvy sugar slingers and, as the name suggests, the cookies are a play on s’mores, though Rocky Road ice cream is the direct progenitor, according to the Girl Scouts. —Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026

There is an academy outside Santo Domingo named after Felipe Alou, the pioneering progenitor of the first family of Dominican baseball. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026

Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, and Duwaji in Texas to Syrian Muslim progenitors. —José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English progenitour, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin prōgenitor "individual from whom a person or family is descended, ancestor," agentive derivative of prōgignere "to produce as offspring, bring into being, give rise to" (from prō- pro- entry 2 + gignere "to bring into being, beget, give birth to"), after genitor "father, parent, originator," going back to Indo-European *ǵenh₁- "engender, beget" + *-tor/*-tōr, agent suffix, from which also Greek genétōr "father, begetter, ancestor," Sanskrit janitar-, janitá "father, progenitor" — more at kin entry 1

Note: Alternatively genitor has been explained as a new formation based on genitus, past participle of gignere. The older and still somewhat more attractive view sees genitus as the new formation, based on the perfect genuī or on genitor itself, after the connection with the original verbal adjective (g)nātus (going back to zero-grade *ǵn̥h₁-to-) became weakened.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for progenitor

• senator

Medical Definition

progenitor

noun

pro·​gen·​i·​tor prō-ˈjen-ət-ər, prə- 

1

: an ancestor of an individual in a direct line of descent along which some or all of the ancestral genes could theoretically have passed

2

: a biologically ancestral form