Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of 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 for ancestor
- father,
- forebear
- (also forbear),
- forebearer,
- forefather,
- grandfather,
- primogenitor,
- progenitor
Words Related to ancestor
- antecessor,
- predecessor
- [archaic]
Near Antonyms for ancestor
Antonyms for ancestor
- 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 for ancestor
- antecedent,
- archetype,
- daddy,
- foregoer,
- forerunner,
- granddaddy
- (also grandaddy),
- precursor,
- predecessor,
- prototype
Words Related to ancestor
Near Antonyms for ancestor
Antonyms for ancestor
- descendant
- (also descendent)
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About ancestor
Thesaurus Entries Near ancestor
See More Nearby EntriesCite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 17 Jun. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Dog Breeds
-
- Name that dog!
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share ancestor
Time Traveler for ancestor
The first known use of ancestor was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century