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
Like his spiritual forefather Michael Bay, Snyder is a visionary action filmmaker who conceives blockbusters with an utterly original aesthetic and sensibility.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Howard Miller Company, located in Zeeland, Mich., was founded in 1926 by Howard C. Miller, son of contract furniture legend Herman Miller, a forefather of MillerKnoll.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 11 July 2025
Instead, Zinke told Outside that his vision for public land management comes from the forefathers of the U.S. National Parks.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 19 May 2025
Transportation secretaries normally have little to do with tariff policy, but Duffy has presented himself as one of the intellectual forefathers of Trump’s current trade agenda.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Howard Miller Company, located in Zeeland, Mich., was founded in 1926 by Howard C. Miller, son of contract furniture legend Herman Miller, a forefather of MillerKnoll.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 11 July 2025
Instead, Zinke told Outside that his vision for public land management comes from the forefathers of the U.S. National Parks.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 19 May 2025
Transportation secretaries normally have little to do with tariff policy, but Duffy has presented himself as one of the intellectual forefathers of Trump’s current trade agenda.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
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No offense to landscapes and wildlife painting and portraits of ancestors–Burgess does all of that, too–but here was something different, provocative.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Though the efforts of our ancestors were often met with devastating backlash, the truth remains: this is the blueprint.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The fiddle resting on his shoulder belonged to his great, great grandfather and dates to around 1900.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
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Photos from Kaela Leone's TikTok video of her sister and grandfather meeting for her wedding.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Afraid of Sarah’s father discovering the truth, Sitti and Janna push themselves to the limit, determined to uncover why Sarah vanished.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
25 Aug. 2025
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Sanders transferred to Colorado once his father took over as the head coach of the Buffaloes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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