ancestor

Meaning

Noun

1. One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear.
2. An earlier type; a progenitor
3. One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir.
4. (figuratively) One who had the same role or function in former times.
5. A word or phrase which serves as the origin of a term in another language.

Verb

To be an ancestor of.

Synonyms

forefather

progenitor

forebear

predecessor

forerunner

antecedent

grandfather

primogenitor

patriarch

root

precursor

ancestors

forbear

foregoer

ascendant

foremother

antecessor

ancient

grandparent

matriarch

father

👨‍👦

founder

grandchild

pioneer

ascendent

source

elder

ancestress

ancestry

lord

grandsire

old

🧓

male ancestor

originator

clan

reason

sire

statue

stepchild

stepson

father’s father

old person

previous existence

previous position

predecessor organization

predecessor organisation

inheritee

fore-runner

fore father

eldmother

Translations

ancêtre

antepasado

antenato

Vorfahr

antepassado

πρόγονος

Ahn

Vorfahre

avo

ancestro

ancestral

progenitore

avantpassat

Ahne

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/

Etymology

From Middle English ancestre, auncestre, ancessour; the first forms from Old French ancestre (modern French ancêtre), from the Latin nominative antecessor (“one who goes before”); the last form from Old French ancessor, from Latin antecessōrem, accusative of antecessor, from antecēdō (“to go before”) + -tor (“-er”), from ante- (“before”) + cēdō (“to go”). See cede, and compare with antecessor.