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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of progenitor
For all its modern flourishes, Delta is hindered by slavishly adhering to the core gameplay of its 2004 progenitor.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
By using specific blood cells known as endothelial progenitor cells, or EPCs, Colossal was able to identify and reprogram cells much easier.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The show, one of the first of its kind, made Osbourne more famous than his music career ever had and was a surreal legacy for the heavy-metal progenitor.
—Matthew Schnipper, Vulture, 22 July 2025
Fifty years ago, Welcome Back, Kotter was a progenitor of the form.
—Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
By using specific blood cells known as endothelial progenitor cells, or EPCs, Colossal was able to identify and reprogram cells much easier.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The show, one of the first of its kind, made Osbourne more famous than his music career ever had and was a surreal legacy for the heavy-metal progenitor.
—Matthew Schnipper, Vulture, 22 July 2025
Fifty years ago, Welcome Back, Kotter was a progenitor of the form.
—Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor
Noun
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Demosponges are soft and squishy filter feeders and their ancestors likely shared similar characteristics.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Where Lil Boosie and Kevin Gates are hometown heroes, two artists who are direct ancestors for YoungBoy’s style, YoungBoy is more notorious, fodder for the gossip shows and the minor podcasts that infiltrate their way onto your timeline.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Turns out, Todd has inherited the same condition that killed his grandfather (played by low-budget horror legend Larry Fessenden).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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On a recent morning, Codie Dufrene, 23, came to collect food for her grandfather and his neighbors, who live 45 minutes from the closest grocery store.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The line in Swift's song and The Life of a Showgirl's cover art appears to be inspired by a Victorian-era painting that depicts the scene in Hamlet when Ophelia goes crazy and falls into a stream and drowns after learning Hamlet killed her father.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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Clemishire and her father filed the lawsuit in Dallas County District Court in June.—
Nolan Clay,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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