FOREFATHER Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

forefather

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌfä-t͟hər

Definition of forefather

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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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 forefather But the truth is that our forefathers were sufficiently individualistic to be iconoclastic. — Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026 Like its forefather, the Barreda Mary Janes have three stripes, a low profile, and a round toe. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 June 2026 Kelly was one of the most prominent Black fashion designers of the 1980s, and his peers included Willi Smith, known as a forefather of modern-day streetwear, and Dapper Dan, a beloved auteur of hip-hop haberdashery. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026 Our economic systems are not serving the people who live here, whose forefathers established this new republic, and our grandparents actualized the peak of its success. — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for forefather

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather

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

Two-year-old Bo often joins his grandfather to mend fences or can identify crops by sight in the fields, Tia Barrier said of her son.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026
Or travel back in time to Onwuachi’s family home in Trinidad and Tobago, where his grandfather made buljol saltfish salad.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

His daughter, Tia, a second grade teacher, shed tears while speaking about father.

— Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Prosecutors also charged Guzman with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury to Joshua Mazur, the child’s father.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of father

Browse Nearby Words

foredooms

forefather

forefathers

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“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of forefather

noun

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