ANCESTOR Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestor

noun

ˈan-ˌse-stər

Definition of ancestor

as in grandfather

a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forerunner

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 ancestor There’s lessons about learning from your mistakes, honoring your ancestors and loving yourself. — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The engaged couple end up living at Tannyhill, Sarah’s former home that Pope’s ancestor Denmark Tanny built. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 In 2011, Galliano was fired by Dior after he was captured on video berating patrons of a Paris bar by praising Hitler and saying their ancestors would have been gassed. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026 Progress and the change associated with it were a source of dissolution and decay, a further loss of the innocence of the Golden Age of the ancestors. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor

Noun

He was further informed that Freya’s grandfather survived the devastating Russian siege of Bucha in 2022.

— Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
His mother had told him a man named Elvin Hunt might have been King’s biological grandfather instead of the person listed as King’s grandfather of record.

— Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Nuclear Children follows 18-year-old Isla Sparrow who, after the death of her father in a submarine accident, hopes to escape her grieving family and flee to university.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
In the story, Ejva inherits her father’s reindeer herd following his sudden death.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of father

Noun

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman were discussing a joint temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz and mind clearing mission, a precursor to a permanent arrangement to administer the waterway.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
This can be a precursor to doing heel-to-toe walking and can build confidence in someone’s ability to stay upright.

— Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

John is then abducted by a group led by an alien named Antaan, who tells him about the Manhunters—ancient synthetic predecessors to the Green Lantern Corps capable of disguising themselves as other species.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Victoria’s contemporary rig, winches, and autopilot functionality allow for single-handed sailing in conditions that would keep its predecessor at the dock.

— Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of predecessor

Noun

Engineers have assembled a prototype air-cooling rig to test the passive safety systems.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Commercial platforms, logical qubits, error-correction techniques, quantum sensing systems, networking prototypes, photonic architectures, and hybrid quantum-classical systems are moving from theory to more practical use.

— Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of prototype

Browse Nearby Words

anatomy

ancestor

ancestors

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Style

“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestor

noun

Example Sentences

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