1
as in grandfathers
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
2
as in forerunners
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
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Recent Examples of ancestors
Goodhouse recalled stories his grandfather would tell him of their ancestors who were in the Hunkpapa camp when troops attacked.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
These findings suggest that throughout great ape evolution, our ancestors gradually developed more control over the timing of their vocalizations, including laughter.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
25 June 2026
But just because our microbiome differs from our ancestors' doesn't mean reverting to an earlier model is better.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 June 2026
The range of Pennsylvania Dutch vocabulary reflects the immediate, physical nature of my ancestors’ lives and work.
—
Eythana Miller,
The Dial,
23 June 2026
The culmination of the event saw people filtering into the shore to create a circle of colorful surfboards dotted with flowers to toss into the ocean to honor ancestors, invoke healing and celebrate the relationship between Black people and the ocean.
—
Gabrielle Gillette,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The genetic profile was then uploaded to a database, revealing his ancestors, siblings and surviving family members.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Consider researching your ancestors' names.
—
Parents,
21 June 2026
Like their ancient ancestors, visitors standing at the center of the stone circle on Sunday will be able to watch the sun rise above the Heel Stone to the northeast — weather depending, of course.
—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
ABC News,
25 June 2026
These findings suggest that throughout great ape evolution, our ancestors gradually developed more control over the timing of their vocalizations, including laughter.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
25 June 2026
But just because our microbiome differs from our ancestors' doesn't mean reverting to an earlier model is better.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 June 2026
The range of Pennsylvania Dutch vocabulary reflects the immediate, physical nature of my ancestors’ lives and work.
—
Eythana Miller,
The Dial,
23 June 2026
The culmination of the event saw people filtering into the shore to create a circle of colorful surfboards dotted with flowers to toss into the ocean to honor ancestors, invoke healing and celebrate the relationship between Black people and the ocean.
—
Gabrielle Gillette,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The genetic profile was then uploaded to a database, revealing his ancestors, siblings and surviving family members.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Consider researching your ancestors' names.
—
Parents,
21 June 2026
Like their ancient ancestors, visitors standing at the center of the stone circle on Sunday will be able to watch the sun rise above the Heel Stone to the northeast — weather depending, of course.
—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestors
Noun
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Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere — birth fathers, stepfathers, adoptive and foster fathers, grandfathers, and all of you caring men who mentor children and fill the role of absent dads.
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Many influential leadership lessons stem from grandfathers through personal stories and experiences.
Noun
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Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.
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The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.
Noun
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While some of the wives wouldn’t bother coming to games every Sunday, Michel said, many of the children saw the Feeney fathers as proper heroes.
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The play, which was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, follows three adult children who meet to settle their fathers’ estate, and, in the process, discover secrets about their parents’ lives.
Noun
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Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.
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Tort claims are necessary precursors to potential lawsuits against the government.
Noun
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Those deals, however, were executed by Johnson’s predecessors.
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There is something stereotypically masculine about the kind of chest-pumping, overly stylish translations of your predecessors.
Cite this Entry
“Ancestors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestors. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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