ancestor

1 a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine Synonyms father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor Related Words antecessor, predecessor [archaic]; ancestress, foremother, grandmother, matriarch; grandsire [archaic], patriarch, sire [archaic]; ancestry, antecedents, roots Near Antonyms children, family, issue, lineage, offspring, posterity, progeny, seed, stock; daughter, heir, inheritor, scion, son, successor Antonyms descendant (also descendent)

2 something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century Synonyms antecedent, archetype, daddy, foregoer, forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy), precursor, predecessor, prototype Related Words model, original; originator, sire; father, mother Near Antonyms by-product, derivative, offshoot, outgrowth, spin-off; daughter, son Antonyms descendant (also descendent)