as in ancestors
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 forefathers
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
Moritz Grossmann was one of the forefathers of German watchmaking in Glashütte.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026
The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 2026
The Nuggets forefathers witnessed him before the rest of Denver, as if it was meant to be that Jamal Murray would become one of them.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Yet, without ceasing, another generation of Puerto Ricans pick up the mantle to chant in the streets and fight for their country, out of love for their forefathers and foremothers.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Our forefathers fought the American Revolution to get away from a tyrannical monarch and indifferent legislators, not to create our own homegrown version of it.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The Philadelphia Art Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and smaller outfits like Eastern State Penitentiary and Historic Germantown will, as expected, reimagine the history of our republic in an homage to the forefathers’ ingenuity.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
My forefathers helped form the Soviet identity and its rituals, even before there was a country to promote them.
—Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Moritz Grossmann was one of the forefathers of German watchmaking in Glashütte.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026
The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 2026
The Nuggets forefathers witnessed him before the rest of Denver, as if it was meant to be that Jamal Murray would become one of them.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Yet, without ceasing, another generation of Puerto Ricans pick up the mantle to chant in the streets and fight for their country, out of love for their forefathers and foremothers.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Our forefathers fought the American Revolution to get away from a tyrannical monarch and indifferent legislators, not to create our own homegrown version of it.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The Philadelphia Art Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and smaller outfits like Eastern State Penitentiary and Historic Germantown will, as expected, reimagine the history of our republic in an homage to the forefathers’ ingenuity.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
My forefathers helped form the Soviet identity and its rituals, even before there was a country to promote them.
—Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefathers
Noun
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Velociraptors and microraptors were not birds, but they were closely related to ancestors of the earliest birds, such as Archaeopteryx.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The behavior may be inherited from wild ancestors Why dogs like grass in the first place is harder to answer.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Opponents hope to negotiate a compromise that grandfathers in existing applicants.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2026
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Homer is named after both of his grandfathers—Homer Gere and James Lowell—while his third name comes from Gere’s Buddhist background.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
And yet, the complex plot comes down to the bond between Albus and Scorpius, who are living in their fathers’ shadows, bullied and uncertain of themselves, as their connections with their dads falter.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
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While some riders prioritize adventure, many fathers simply want a reliable and comfortable way to travel around town.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forefathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefathers. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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