1 ancestor | Definition of ancestor
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

ancestor

noun
an·​ces·​tor | \ ˈan-ËŒses-tÉ™r also -sÉ™s- How to pronounce ancestor (audio) \

Definition of ancestor

1a : one from whom a person is descended and who is usually more remote in the line of descent than a grandparent Her ancestors came to America in the 1880s.
b : forefather sense 2
2 : forerunner, prototype an exhibit of the ancestors of the modern computer
3 : a progenitor (see progenitor sense 1b) of a more recent or existing species or group the ancestor of the modern horse
Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ancestor

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for ancestor

Synonyms

father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor

Antonyms

descendant (also descendent)

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

Examples of ancestor in a Sentence

My ancestors came to America during the 1800s. Her ancestors were great sea captains. an ancient animal that was the ancestor of the modern horse The museum included an exhibit showing ancestors of the modern computer. several languages that are derived from a common ancestor Latin is the ancestor of Italian and French.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 In the comics, Dane’s ancestor is the original Black Knight: Sir Percy of Scandia, a Knight of the Round Table and Camelot’s greatest warrior. — Alejandra Salazar, refinery29.com, "Kit Harington Will Wield A Different Kind Of Sword For Marvel’s The Eternals," 24 Aug. 2019 Janet Taylor Picket depicts her life as an African American and that of her ancestors as slaves with paintings of dresses, and Alexandra Dillon paints portraits of women in the spirit of Roman-Egyptian mummy portraits on vintage garments. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "In Oceanside Museum of Art’s ‘Dress Rehearsal,’ artists use garment in unexpected ways," 21 Aug. 2019 Instead, the potbellied sculptures may represent the dead due to their swollen proportions, possibly created to honor ancestors and former community members. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian, "Mesoamerican Sculptures Reveal Early Knowledge of Magnetism," 6 Aug. 2019 The details about McConnell’s ancestors, discovered by NBC News through a search of ancestry and census records, came in the wake of recent House hearings on reparations. — Petra Cahill, NBC News, "Obamacare, climate change and another win for the Women's World Cup: The Morning Rundown," 9 July 2019 The goal of Yitz’s epic genealogy investigation was to find this important ancestor and map all of his descendants. — Pierpaolo Mittica, National Geographic, "Descendants of Chernobyl’s Jewish dynasty return to the exclusion zone," 6 Mar. 2019 Identifying as a vegan Argentinian has allowed me to acknowledge and further empathize with my ancestors and their oneness with the earth. — Amy Quichiz, SELF, "10 Vegans of Color on What Being Vegan Means to Them," 6 Jan. 2019 Black hair carries the weight of our ancestors and our tradition. — Andrea Park, Glamour, "Amandla Stenberg: Stylists Have Made Me Feel Like My Natural Hair Is 'Too Challenging'," 18 Sep. 2018 The new findings are not, however, the first clue that our ancestors ventured to high altitudes earlier than experts once thought. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of an Ancient High-Altitude Human Dwelling," 10 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ancestor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of ancestor

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for ancestor

Middle English ancestre, from Anglo-French, from Latin antecessor predecessor, from antecedere to go before, from ante- + cedere to go

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for ancestor

ancestor

noun
How to pronounce ancestor (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ancestor

: a person who was in someone's family in past times : one of the people from whom a person is descended
: an animal in the past from which a modern animal developed
: something in the past from which something else has developed

See the full definition for ancestor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ancestor

noun
an·​ces·​tor | \ ˈan-ËŒse-stÉ™r How to pronounce ancestor (audio) \

Kids Definition of ancestor

1 : a person from whom someone is descended
2 : something from which something else develops

ancestor

noun
an·​ces·​tor

Legal Definition of ancestor

1a : a person from whom an individual is descended : ascendant
b : a person from whom an estate descends — compare heir
2 : one that precedes ancestor in title

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on ancestor

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ancestor

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ancestor

Spanish Central: Translation of ancestor

Nglish: Translation of ancestor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ancestor for Arabic Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!