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 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 Our forefathers believed that democracy was the best means to establish a meritocracy. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2026 Moritz Grossmann was one of the forefathers of German watchmaking in Glashütte. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026 Many consider the late cultural icon Bruce Lee a forefather of mixed martial arts, as his philosophy of taking what is useful from various fighting styles directly influenced the sport’s development. — Bhakti Mirchandani, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forefather

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather

Noun

While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smartphones.

— Terry Chea, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Adela follows her grandfather’s footsteps while transforming his political and anthropological work into art, weaving a sound map from languages at risk of disappearing.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
The Beam family was at Raimondi Park sporting shirts with artwork of their beloved dad, husband, brother and grandfather.

— Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

Born in Vienna to a Russian mother and Nigerian father, Ndukwe learned English at school from an early age and that has helped since moving to Merseyside.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
All of them are concerned with legacy, particularly among fathers and daughters (Shakespeare had two and lost his only son), and all of them touch a realm beyond the mundane — a place of gods and dreams, oracles and enchantment.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of father

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foredooms

forefather

forefathers

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“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of forefather

noun

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