as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
our forefathers bought this farm, and our family has worked it for three generations
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Recent Examples of forefather
The composer mashes together elements of forefathers who were themselves notorious mashers-up of traditions.
—
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Given the more than 130 such institutions in that city, the Yanks have yet to catch up to their forefathers—and still have much to learn.
—Air Mail, 6 Sep. 2025
Today’s muscle cars are far more powerful, and emit far fewer pollutants, than their forefathers from the 1960s.
—Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The indiscriminate violence of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi—the leader of al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch until his death in 2006 and the forefather of ISIS—harmed al Qaeda’s brand as a champion of the Muslim masses, and taught its leaders a hard lesson about the hazards of rogue agents.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2016
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Given the more than 130 such institutions in that city, the Yanks have yet to catch up to their forefathers—and still have much to learn.
—Air Mail, 6 Sep. 2025
Today’s muscle cars are far more powerful, and emit far fewer pollutants, than their forefathers from the 1960s.
—Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The indiscriminate violence of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi—the leader of al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch until his death in 2006 and the forefather of ISIS—harmed al Qaeda’s brand as a champion of the Muslim masses, and taught its leaders a hard lesson about the hazards of rogue agents.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2016
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
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His tío was a babalao (a Santería priest) who could conjure a spirit known as an orixá that could then take the form of its targets’ ancestors.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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At Rokeby, museum interpreters explain how the Robinson's ancestors had become wealthy in part due to the slave trade, but were abolitionists in later generations.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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El Camello says his grandfather always had cars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Named after his grandfather, the late master distiller Booker Noe, this blended whiskey changes with every release, and often highlights some very unusual components (bourbon made from brown rice, for example).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In a social media video, Madi said her father's health declined in the months following an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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The introduction was from my father, who was a friend of his in another lifetime.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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