plural progenitors
1
formal
a
: someone who first thinks of or does something : a person who begins something
the progenitors of modern art
b
: something that is a model for something else : something that begins the development of something else
a mechanical progenitor [=precursor] of the modern computer
2
biology
: a person or animal in the past that is related to a person or animal living now : ancestor
wild cats that were the progenitors of the house cat
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/progenitor. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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