as in ancestors
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 progenitors
Astronomers have long puzzled over the apparent lack of luminous red supergiant stars in pre-explosion images, even though models predict that these stars should dominate the population of core-collapse supernova progenitors.
—
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Though some futuristic progenitors didn’t make the original project (there’s still time for a deluxe), many listeners are celebrating the project as a cross-generational mesh of Atlanta greatness.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Though some futuristic progenitors didn’t make the original project (there’s still time for a deluxe), many listeners are celebrating the project as a cross-generational mesh of Atlanta greatness.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitors
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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This is the legacy of our fathers and grandfathers.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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Smith and Christian’s respective grandfathers were their catalysts into vintage fashion.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 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
“Progenitors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitors. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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