as in grandmother
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 ancestress
Meanwhile, Alice, Dana’s ancestress, never becomes much more than a moral quandary: a stubborn victim who is unable to adapt.
—
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
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
The intersection of these two facts does convince me that William's genealogical ancestress, Eliza Kewark, did have South Asian ancestry (not totally surprising even in notionally ethnically distinct groups like Armenians or Parsis who have been long resident in India).
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2013
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
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
The intersection of these two facts does convince me that William's genealogical ancestress, Eliza Kewark, did have South Asian ancestry (not totally surprising even in notionally ethnically distinct groups like Armenians or Parsis who have been long resident in India).
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestress
Noun
-
Set in Wisteria, a quaint mountain town in North Carolina, the novel follows Daphne Austen, who runs her late grandmother’s English tearoom Tea Thyme.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The curry goat reminded me of my grandmother’s Sunday cooking.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In Antoine Fuqua’s Michael, slated for release on April 24, 2026, Long plays Jackson family matriarch Katherine, with Tate as Motown Records’ Berry Gordy.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Unable to attend the hearings to hear those words were Joan and Terry, the aging family matriarchs who have never wavered in their support, the cousins said.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One theory points to Buddhist monks, who would light lanterns on the 15th day of the holiday to honor Buddha—an act that evolved into a way for families to pay tribute to ancestors.—
Sarah Buder,
AFAR Media,
20 Oct. 2025
-
First Alert 4 reported that this counterfeit note was marked as ancestor money, a symbolic bill burned as a ritual offering in Chinese culture.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Theosophy, or divine wisdom, was a progenitor of the New Age movement of the 20th century.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
In Anne Rice lore, Akasha is known as the progenitor of all vampires.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
-
The guidance my forebears left me is a map.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The book is dense with literary references but Harpman constantly makes fun of her forebears.—
MJ Franklin,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestress. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share