as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
the progenitors of today's Maya once ruled a mighty empire that stretched across much of Central America
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Recent Examples of progenitor
One outstanding question: Is the 2025 affordable Tesla the progenitor of the Cybercab?
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Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
These shows stem from ideological progenitor shows like Last Man Standing, a comedy about a man whose family just can’t (or won’t) live up to his political and cultural expectations.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Burke, a veteran foreign correspondent for The Guardian, traces the intellectual progenitors of the modern ideas of jihad that inspired bin Laden and his followers.
—Hisham Melhem, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2015
While Bologna and Modena engaged in a friendly dispute over the paternity of Tortellini for centuries, the town of Castelfranco Emilia was declared its progenitor in the 1800s.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for progenitor 
Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
These shows stem from ideological progenitor shows like Last Man Standing, a comedy about a man whose family just can’t (or won’t) live up to his political and cultural expectations.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Burke, a veteran foreign correspondent for The Guardian, traces the intellectual progenitors of the modern ideas of jihad that inspired bin Laden and his followers.
—Hisham Melhem, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2015
While Bologna and Modena engaged in a friendly dispute over the paternity of Tortellini for centuries, the town of Castelfranco Emilia was declared its progenitor in the 1800s.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for progenitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor
Noun
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The heroine feels a sense of belonging; she is told that this is the home of her ancestors.Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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Martínez sought to both channel their energy and encourage younger generations to pursue the music of their ancestors.Solcyré Burga, TIME, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Inside of the garage was the 1966 Triumph Tiger Cub motorcycle that his grandfather had left him as a memento.Gavin Feek, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2025
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In her personal life, Nona is the mother of at least one child, a son named Nolan Pentz, whose middle name is shared with his famous grandfather.Emy LaCroix, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
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State prosecutors at the hearing depicted Higgins, a married father of two, as having a history of road rage and of drinking up to six beers before the crash, reports the AP.Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
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Walz's daughter shared a video on TikTok the same day, including a screenshot of the original photo and speaking about her father's popcorn recipe.Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near progenitor
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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