ANCESTRESS Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestress

noun

Definition of ancestress

as in grandmother

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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 ancestress Yang Asha is the mythical ancestress of the Miao people, an ethnic minority in China closely related to the Hmong of Southeast Asia. — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2020 His own mother, aged ninety, who remembered her aunt, had been able to share stories of their ancestress with the grandchildren who’d had no idea, before now, what their background might be. — Susan Choi, Harper's magazine, 6 Jan. 2020 Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan’s emperors. — Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2019 Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan's emperors. — NBC News, 22 Oct. 2019 Instead of being a reticulated mesh the genealogy of mtDNA is a clean and inverted elegant tree leading back to a common ancestress. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2010

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestress

Noun

The personal connection to her grandmother extends beyond the company's name.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Our celebrations were led by women, my grandmother, mother, and aunts, who would meticulously clean the house and spend weeks preparing snacks and sweets.

— Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of grandmother

Noun

In a nod to that film, Beverly D’Angelo co-stars as the Kringle family matriarch.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Most of the jokes around Drake’s style compare him to women—to white women and their keenness for the fall season, to rich reality TV stars, to family matriarchs, and more.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of matriarch

Noun

Throughout the region, remains of 5,500 ancestors that were displaced have been made available for return to the Tohono O’odham Nation, according to ProPublica’s NAGPRA database.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
Today, this Chilean territory is essentially an open-air archaeological museum, with many of its enigmatic moai (representations of Polynesian ancestors) returned to their upright positions following seven decades of restoration.

— Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Through our hair and its many rituals, remain the herbalism of our foremothers in the new world, passing down their ingenuity of homemade balms, creams, and oils for hair growth.

— Eshe Ukweli, refinery29.com, 7 June 2023
In fact, precursors to modern bleaching processes didn’t come on the scene until the turn of the 20th century, leaving our foremothers and forefathers plenty of time to get creative with their blonde pursuits.

— AJ Willingham, CNN, 28 May 2023

Definition of foremother

Noun

Pulling on a long rope of influences that begins with the Wilsons and runs through British prog, bedroom pop, and chillwave, Doomed is a serene and satisfying collection which, like its forebears, makes a personal matter of universal consciousness.

— Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Their forebears at the Academy snubbed canonical documentaries like The Thin Blue Line, Roger & Me, and Hoop Dreams.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of forebear

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“Ancestress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestress. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestress

noun

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