as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
the progenitors of today's Maya once ruled a mighty empire that stretched across much of Central America
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Recent Examples of progenitor
In a scene following the triumph of successfully creating a human blastocyst outside the womb, IVF’s three progenitors face the Medical Research Council.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Perhaps an early progenitor of slow cinema, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly remains one of the finest examples of the Western genre and one of Eastwood’s very best performances.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Keeping in tradition with its American progenitor, the first ever Saturday Night Live UK began with a political send-up cold open.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
Beane is the progenitor of the Moneyball movement, the search for inefficiency in roster building that, today, has influenced every Major League Baseball front office.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Perhaps an early progenitor of slow cinema, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly remains one of the finest examples of the Western genre and one of Eastwood’s very best performances.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Keeping in tradition with its American progenitor, the first ever Saturday Night Live UK began with a political send-up cold open.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
Beane is the progenitor of the Moneyball movement, the search for inefficiency in roster building that, today, has influenced every Major League Baseball front office.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor
Noun
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Our ancestors—the hard-working, long-suffering peasant women who told these stories to each other and passed them down the generations through the oral tradition—knew everything there was to know about adversity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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The contest also encouraged students to think of ways to prevent water pollution, and how our ancestors may have loved to save water.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The young Khomeini, who doesn’t hold a government position, spoke at the main ceremony commemorating his great grandfather’s death 37 years ago.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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Owner Ray Biggerstaff announced his retirement, signaling the end of an era for the company founded in 1948 by his grandfather, Raymond Biggerstaff.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Noun
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San Antonio's roster, meanwhile, features another son of a longtime pro in Dylan Harper, whose father, Ron, won five NBA championships in the span of six seasons with Chicago and the Lakers.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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Besides Dara’s statement, what TJ says about his own father sheds some light on West.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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