Synonyms of ancestor

ancestor

noun

ˈan-ˌse-stər 

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

• grandfather
• father
• grandmother
• progenitor
• forefather
• forebear
• ancestry
• forebearer
• primogenitor
• predecessor
• ancestress
• patriarch
• matriarch
• antecessor
• foremother
• grandsire
• antecedents
• sire
• roots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• descendant
• family
• children
• lineage
• offspring
• seed
• progeny
• stock
• issue
• son
• daughter
• posterity
• successor
• heir
• inheritor
• scion

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

• forerunner
• precursor
• predecessor
• prototype
• original
• antecedent
• daddy
• archetype
• granddaddy
• originator
• mother
• model
• foregoer
• father
• sire

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• descendant
• son
• derivative
• daughter
• offshoot
• outgrowth
• by-product
• spin-off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ancestor

Our ancestors could not dim the day, postpone the night, or order light at midnight. — Randy J. Nelson, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

Gonzalez painted Monarch butterflies, too, symbols of ancestors in the Mexican culture, particularly important around Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, in early November. — Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

Food has an important role in connecting with ancestors on Dia de Muertos. — Zayda Rivera, Parents, 29 Oct. 2026

According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition. — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026