1
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
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2
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
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Recent Examples of ancestor
To put that in perspective, humans and chimps, their last common ancestor was 13 to 16 million years ago.
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Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024
The ancestors of early dinosaurs were small and omnivorous, and were far outnumbered by other vertebrates.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2024
Set in 1930s Pittsburgh, The Piano Lesson follows the Charles family — particularly, two siblings — who are at odds over what to do with an heirloom piano obtained by their enslaved ancestors.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2024
The term hominin refers to all species in the human family tree that emerged after the split from the ancestors of the great apes 6 million to 7 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestor 
Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024
The ancestors of early dinosaurs were small and omnivorous, and were far outnumbered by other vertebrates.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2024
Set in 1930s Pittsburgh, The Piano Lesson follows the Charles family — particularly, two siblings — who are at odds over what to do with an heirloom piano obtained by their enslaved ancestors.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2024
The term hominin refers to all species in the human family tree that emerged after the split from the ancestors of the great apes 6 million to 7 million years ago.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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His grandfather Campbell Forsyth made four appearances in goal for Scotland in 1964 and his father Stuart Burgess, also a defender, had a distinguished career in the Scottish leagues.Asif Burhan, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Jenna’s grandfather had just been scammed by someone claiming to be a detective, so Kara told Jenna to be cautious about giving out personal information or passwords.Taylor Galgano, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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These projects breathed new life into the U.S. conservation movement, the forerunner of today’s climate activism.Pavlina R. Tcherneva, Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2020
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Embrace change, become a forerunner and refuse to let emotional interference deter productivity.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Vasquez grew up in the Philippines and credits his father for instilling in him a love of singing.Daniela Avila, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
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In one recent case, in Vista, California, cops were called to the home of Sean Christiansen, after his father had called in a domestic disturbance.Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Poor sleep is associated with insulin resistance (cells do not respond to insulin to take in blood glucose for energy, causing blood sugar levels to rise), which may be the precursor to prediabetes (having blood sugar levels that are not quite high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes).Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
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The last time the Democratic Party faced this scale of electoral defeat was also the precursor to its greatest twenty-first-century success.Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In a worrying echo of the breakdown in trust between Wolves and O’Neil’s predecessor Lopetegui, O’Neil’s confidence in the owners’ ability and willingness to back him was never restored.Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
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Miao’s predecessor, Gen. Zhang Yang, killed himself while under disciplinary investigation for bribery.Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Today’s prototype quantum computers are too error-prone to do anything useful.Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024
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The technology is based on the early prototypes of Jeanologia’s H2Zero technology.Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 9 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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