as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
our forefathers bought this farm, and our family has worked it for three generations
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Recent Examples of forefather
The statistics were grim—twenty-first-century males were, relative to their forefathers and their female contemporaries, much more likely to fall behind in school, drop out of college, languish in the workforce, or die by overdose or suicide.
—
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Trapping has evolved quite a bit since our forefathers first set out for beaver in the 1800s.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Following the footsteps of her fashion forefathers is also difficult because of high costs and red tape.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Rise up like the American forefathers did a few hundred years ago.
—Joe Hudicka, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Trapping has evolved quite a bit since our forefathers first set out for beaver in the 1800s.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Following the footsteps of her fashion forefathers is also difficult because of high costs and red tape.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Rise up like the American forefathers did a few hundred years ago.
—Joe Hudicka, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
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Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs noted his ancestors were among the first white settlers in the county in 1835, at a settlement a few hundred feet from the site.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2025
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Moringa oleifera is native to Indian subcontinent, particularly the Himalayan foothills, while another species, Moringa stenopetala, grows in the Horn of Africa: southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and even Somalia, where Elba’s ancestors are from.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Even more breathtaking than Williams' entrance, though, was her brief scene beside the bed of Jen's dying grandfather, which would ultimately kick off the first of countless tearjerker moments peppered throughout the series.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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After his grandfather died a few years later, Pitsaev and his mom moved back to Chechnya.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The suspect’s father told us his son had a childhood obsession with pyrotechnics In an interview with my colleague Jenny Jarvie, the suspect’s estranged father, Richard Bartkus, said the boy, then 9, set his family’s Yucca Valley home on fire.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2025
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In the early 1980s, before Will Harlan was born, his father, H. William (Bill) Harlan, was hiking in the mountains above Napa Valley and stumbled upon a hidden valley.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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