PROGENITOR Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

progenitor

noun

prō-ˈje-nə-tər

Definition of progenitor

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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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 Yet that same year, Brynjolfsson got access to GPT-3, a progenitor of ChatGPT. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 The ultimate sports podcast The progenitor to the growth of sports podcasts has to be Only A Game. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 15 June 2026 In her account, Richmond indeed emerges as its progenitor—through his theorizing, his behind-the-scenes parliamentary and polemical maneuvering, and his patronage of Thomas Paine. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Watching their metronomic thriller does more to suggest the arrival of a hyper-sexualized answer to the Coen brothers than the progeny of William Gibson or the progenitors of multiplex psychedelia. — Nick Newman, IndieWire, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for progenitor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor

Noun

The group includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
The Maori tell a story about how a godwit showed their ancestors the way from their ancient homeland of Hawaiki to New Zealand, more than a thousand miles away.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

Nearly a century after his great-grandfathers played college football, USC freshman defensive lineman Luke Wafle is emerging as a generational talent.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
To Diana, who has taken over First Desk at the Park after last season’s events, River’s refusal to take bereavement leave gives her license to speak about his grandfather’s funeral arrangements with her usual cool formality.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

This, together with the execution of Lyanna’s father and oldest brother by Rhaegar’s father, the titular Mad King Aerys II, spurs Lyanna’s betrothed, Robert Baratheon (Callum Woodhouse), to move against Aerys.

— Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Crooks adopted the Dole pseudonym after his father's checking account had been hacked and fraudulent gambling charges appeared, Matthew Crooks told investigators.

— Michael Ruiz , Kelley Kramer, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of father

Browse Nearby Words

profusions

progenitor

progenitors

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“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of progenitor

noun

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