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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 progenitor
That’s the newest creation from these savvy sugar slingers and, as the name suggests, the cookies are a play on s’mores, though Rocky Road ice cream is the direct progenitor, according to the Girl Scouts.
—
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
There is an academy outside Santo Domingo named after Felipe Alou, the pioneering progenitor of the first family of Dominican baseball.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, and Duwaji in Texas to Syrian Muslim progenitors.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Jan. 2026
Skye and Billy’s progenitors, by contrast, are revealed to have been free-spirited and independent-minded people who simply left out lots of their complicated, peripatetic story.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
There is an academy outside Santo Domingo named after Felipe Alou, the pioneering progenitor of the first family of Dominican baseball.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, and Duwaji in Texas to Syrian Muslim progenitors.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Jan. 2026
Skye and Billy’s progenitors, by contrast, are revealed to have been free-spirited and independent-minded people who simply left out lots of their complicated, peripatetic story.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor
Noun
-
Regardless of meaning, the markings should put these Stone Age human ancestors in a different light.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Private is the mystery incandescence of her nacre, coveting which the likes of us killed her ancestors to make buttons, souvenirs, entire garments for ritual dancers who sought to banish their demons with her magical inner light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
My grandfather was a prominent psychoanalyst, one of the founders of the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago.—
Debra Manetta,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Oyster House has been run by the Mink family since 1947, when Sam's grandfather bought the business.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Kim’s teenage daughter, widely believed to be named Ju Ae, again appeared prominently at the parade beside her father.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The mother of Tilly Servin, a toddler who prosecutors believe was tortured to death in Long Beach last year, is suing Los Angeles County’s child protection agency for leaving her daughter in the custody of the child’s father, who was previously sentenced to four years in prison for child abuse.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
