1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Transported to the scene, her royal ancestor looks down in horror.
—
Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Other countries are still struggling to come to terms with the complicity of their ancestors.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Though not Jewish herself, her ancestors were abolitionists, and their family farm was a part of the Underground Railroad.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The owners could have been Neanderthals, early human ancestors or someone else.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Other countries are still struggling to come to terms with the complicity of their ancestors.
—Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Though not Jewish herself, her ancestors were abolitionists, and their family farm was a part of the Underground Railroad.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The owners could have been Neanderthals, early human ancestors or someone else.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
Simultaneously, her Uncle walks into Ho Jin’s house, waxing eloquent about his grandfather’s collection of classics.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
According to the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), authorities allege that the grandfather placed pills into his 16-year-old step-granddaughter and her 15-year-old friend's Dairy Queen ice cream cones in August 2025.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
With little support for the WHO among Republicans — who control both the House and the Senate — there has been no push from Congress to hold the country to the provision set out by their forerunners.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mu Hee’s visits her Uncle and Aunt, and requests them to ask her father the whereabouts of her mother.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
My immediate reaction was to run close to the section to aid in the protection and safety of my father and mother, who was with me.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As Ars Technica reports, space startup Vast has opted to build a smaller and more feasible interim station, dubbed Haven-1, which will serve as the precursor for much larger outposts capable of continuous habitation in the more distant future.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The history of whiskey (also known as whisky) is commonly thought to have begun in the Middle Ages, but Robinson goes all the way back to the Neolithic era and the precursor of what would evolve into the pot still, and forward to the present day.—
Tony Sachs,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The question is, will the new class of lawmakers finish what their predecessors started?—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
As with its predecessor, the Sport can be equipped with either two Volvo Penta D4 Diesel engines (640 hp) or two V8s (860 hp).—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to Severin Stadler, Head of R&D at Magna, the simulator enables chassis and tyre tuning long before prototypes exist.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Launched at the Expo 2025 Osaka last year, what seemed like a pipe dream destined for a 2050 debut, is now expected to have a prototype ready decades ahead of schedule—with the first edition to launch in just four years.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
