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
The two Metroidvania progenitors — 1986’s Metroid and 1987’s Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest — cultivated a sense of geographical bewilderment by letting players unfurl the secrets of their arcane worlds in any direction along the X and Y axes.
—
Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
That series’ progenitor, Twin Peaks (1990-92) — also co-written with Frost — was the first network series to be organized around one character’s death and a community’s response to it.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Each foot represents a year in the life of Joseph Smith Jr., the progenitor, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was born on that humble spot on December 23, 1805.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
This evidence for the presence of liquid water on the ancient body from which Bennu formed provides a tantalizing possibility: the possibility that Bennu’s progenitor may have seen the first stirrings of life.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
That series’ progenitor, Twin Peaks (1990-92) — also co-written with Frost — was the first network series to be organized around one character’s death and a community’s response to it.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Each foot represents a year in the life of Joseph Smith Jr., the progenitor, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was born on that humble spot on December 23, 1805.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
This evidence for the presence of liquid water on the ancient body from which Bennu formed provides a tantalizing possibility: the possibility that Bennu’s progenitor may have seen the first stirrings of life.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for progenitor
Noun
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The auntie’s going to always be there for her niece as an ancestor.—
Fox Maxy,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2025
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The ephemerides were the ancestors of astronomical tables, which still exist.—
James Byrne,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This recipe is familiar yet revolutionary at the same time, just like your grandfather's stories.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2025
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Pulte, whose grandfather founded the nation’s third-largest homebuilder, PulteGroup, said that privatizing the two companies is not the Trump administration’s top priority this time around.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His father, Dave, served as a Virginia assistant in the 1980s.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
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Iceland’s public broadcaster reported that the relationship was kept secret but that the father was present for the birth of his child and initially allowed contact, but nearly all access was cut off before his son turned 1.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/progenitor. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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