ancestral

adjective

Definition of ancestralnext
as in historic

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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 ancestral References to the Gjallarhorn, longship and classic helmet create a look that feels both ancestral and modern. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 We've been reclaiming a lot of our ancestral homelands, our village site which is Verona Marina. — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 His city had been the epicenter of the worst American riot in generations, and his country had thrown its support behind Israel, helping to devastate parts of his ancestral home. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 On the new Kildare, Kooks largely bailed out, Pogues moved in, Pope and Cleo settled into his ancestral home, Tannyhill, and Topper is a bartender. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ancestral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestral
  1. historic
  2. old-world
  3. ancient
  4. old-time
  5. historical
  6. habitual
  7. old
Adjective
  • Brussels offers a different atmosphere from Rome and La Baule, two of the sport’s historic destinations.
    — Gemma Redrup, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Organizers say contemporary art can reinvigorate historic spaces while giving artists new settings to engage with the UK’s architectural and cultural heritage.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of historic
Adjective
  • Over the years, Marco Polo has adapted to the neighborhood’s changing demographics by downplaying its old-world Italian extravagance.
    — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Now at the National Museum of American History, the vanilla silk crepe dress, with its single waterfall ruffle and narrow claret ribbon at the waist, hinted at old-world craft and restraint.
    — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of old-world
Adjective
  • After becoming a daily fixture in the 1990s, blackouts have worsened since 2024, when Cuba’s ancient power grid began to collapse and Soviet-era electrical stations began failing more frequently.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Its towering basalt cliffs formed as ancient volcanic rock cooled and fractured.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • For this tigress, the elder Singh urged a haka, an old-time beat.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The shop, both a drug store and old-time fountain shop, offers fountain sodas as well as subs and sandwiches.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of old-time
Adjective
  • One of Presner’s class exercises has students use language models to build historical narratives, then manipulate them.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • One major item of interest to note is the historical significance of its momentum indicators.
    — Jay Woods, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of historical
Adjective
  • Subsequent research actually backed him up, finding that habitual calculator use before students had internalized basic arithmetic weakened their mental fluency and fact retrieval.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But her kindly and supportive cop boyfriend Nick (Brandon Perea) rightly insists that the duo should perhaps move out of the house when Gemma’s habitual nightmares intensify.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of habitual
Adjective
  • The Dune star has five older half siblings from her father’s previous relationship.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Newcastle had depleted full-back resources and Jaissle was convinced the 24-year-old’s athleticism was ideal.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of old

Browse Nearby Words

ancestors
ancestral
ancestress
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Cite this Entry

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

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