ANCESTOR Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestor

noun

ˈan-ˌse-stər

Definition of ancestor

as in grandfather

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 & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forerunner

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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ancestor The small, troubled Trask family represents isolation, generational trauma and dysfunctional cycles in contrast to the large, loving and morally grounded Hamilton family, who are modeled after Steinbeck’s own maternal ancestors. — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The sweater represents being far away from home and feeling disconnected, but realizing that your ancestors are with you always. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2026 By remaining involved in the businesses their ancestors began, these families have preserved and expanded their wealth across multiple generations while also shaping the American business landscape. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026 The same year, on Boston Common, some fifty of our ancestors were executed and displayed in rituals of violence. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor

Noun

Shiloh is now walking through the halls where her grandfather was a teacher, her aunt was a counselor and four of her five siblings went to school.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
His grandfather was English, and much of the shoot involved being at a different moor or castle with wild horses galloping around every other week, Nordrum says.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

The trip marks the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two cities since Felipe's father, Juan Carlos I, toured them in 2007.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
For Rukhsar Amrohi, who also calls Kumari Chhoti Ammi, the film is a token of the couple’s love, made by her father out of his love for Kumari.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of father

Noun

Then there’s the new electric Jaguar, a machine that inflamed the Internet and became the subject of global controversy when its conceptual precursor was revealed in late 2024.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days (also known as October Prime Day) is here, serving as a precursor to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

— Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

The latest unit retains the same first six forward ratios as the outgoing Carrera T’s manual transmission, but ditches its predecessor’s somewhat awkward and largely superfluous seventh gear.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Bass, for instance, oversaw the reappointment of McDonnell’s predecessor, Michel Moore, shortly after her election and stood by him for a year before Moore’s abrupt resignation in early 2024.

— Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of predecessor

Noun

The airborne spectacle was a prototype demonstration, not a test of a production-ready vehicle.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The concept of flying cars has been around almost as long as motor vehicles themselves, with American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss debuting the first flying car prototype in 1917.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of prototype

Browse Nearby Words

anatomy

ancestor

ancestors

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Style

“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestor

noun

Example Sentences

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