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
And while the words may sting, our forefathers would surely agree that the First Amendment exists precisely to protect even the harshest political speech.
—
Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The composer mashes together elements of forefathers who were themselves notorious mashers-up of traditions.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The composer mashes together elements of forefathers who were themselves notorious mashers-up of traditions.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefathers
Noun
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Her ancestors were from Russia, who later fled to Ukraine and settled in Philadelphia.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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The idea was to go back to the basic foods that their ancestors ate.—
Chrystle Fiedler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In his latest partnership with Ancestry as part of the organization’s Thank You for Your Service campaign, Bass got to learn even more about both of his grandfathers’ service in the war.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
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Civil Code Section 4740 grandfathers rental prohibitions, while Section 4741 bans rental prohibitions and unreasonable restrictions.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In fact, some famous fathers have doubled that average age, becoming dads past the age of 65.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
7 Nov. 2025
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Husbands and fathers were supposed to meet their major needs for food, shelter, and clothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forefathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefathers. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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