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
The harvests became community events where younger tribal members learned how their ancestors butchered and used the buffalo.
—
Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 28 May 2025
Smaller shark species such as requiem sharks and ancestors of today’s cetaceans, dolphins and whales, were next.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs noted his ancestors were among the first white settlers in the county in 1835, at a settlement a few hundred feet from the site.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
Moringa oleifera is native to Indian subcontinent, particularly the Himalayan foothills, while another species, Moringa stenopetala, grows in the Horn of Africa: southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and even Somalia, where Elba’s ancestors are from.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 28 May 2025
Smaller shark species such as requiem sharks and ancestors of today’s cetaceans, dolphins and whales, were next.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs noted his ancestors were among the first white settlers in the county in 1835, at a settlement a few hundred feet from the site.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
Moringa oleifera is native to Indian subcontinent, particularly the Himalayan foothills, while another species, Moringa stenopetala, grows in the Horn of Africa: southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and even Somalia, where Elba’s ancestors are from.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
Her grandfather believed that was untenable, Monica Church said, and instead sought compromise with mining groups, ranchers and others.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2025
-
In From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Ana de Armas’ Eve is seeking revenge after the death of her father, Javier (David Castañeda), who was killed in an assassination attempt by his father-in-law and her grandfather, The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) a dozen years before.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
-
It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.—
David Krumboltz,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That said, Shane Hawkins has stepped into his father’s role in his long-running side project Chevy Metal.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2025
-
Killmonger’s deeper motivation is sadder and less grandiose: His father, the brother of the late king, was murdered by Wakandan agents, forcing Killmonger to grow up alone and exiled from his ancestral homeland.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
By World Health Organization (WHO) standards established in 1994, this designates a person as having osteopenia — often a precursor to osteoporosis.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
-
Leverton said trends like western, cottagecore, Americana and conservative styles of dress, in general, were precursors to where things were the U.S. presidential election was heading last year.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Bears fans were led to believe Johnson’s predecessor, Matt Eberflus, was a disciplinarian.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
-
Polis’ predecessor, now-U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, did so less often — in part because split control of the legislature’s chambers at times kept partisan measures from reaching the Democrat’s desk.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Taking place in June 2023, American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans studies the story of when an American stock car Chevrolet Camaro competed against the futuristic Ferrari and Porsche prototypes in the grueling 24-hour challenge.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
-
This is a polished-looking prototype but not necessarily a pending commercial product.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share