1
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
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2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
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Recent Examples of ancestor
Tula also lets Lila’s friend Jen in on the big secret: Not only is Lila alive, she is often possessed by one of her ancestors, who were awakened within her by the Agony ritual.
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Sean T. Collins, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2024
According to the National Park Service, Perkins grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts but spent her summers on her family’s homestead in Newcastle, Maine, where her ancestors first settled in the 1750s.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Rainwater is chief of the fictional Broken Rock tribe, whose bloodline has been traced back in 1923 with his ancestor Teonna Rainwater (played by Aminah Nieves).
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2024
The ancestors of the modern sharks first appeared in this Silurian Period.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestor 
Sean T. Collins, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2024
According to the National Park Service, Perkins grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts but spent her summers on her family’s homestead in Newcastle, Maine, where her ancestors first settled in the 1750s.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Rainwater is chief of the fictional Broken Rock tribe, whose bloodline has been traced back in 1923 with his ancestor Teonna Rainwater (played by Aminah Nieves).
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2024
The ancestors of the modern sharks first appeared in this Silurian Period.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Though thanks to a trust fund locked away by her grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, Gloria inherited $2.5 million (or about $36 million by today’s standards).Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 31 Dec. 2024
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My grandfather's name is Charles Crockett, my name is Matthew Charles, and my uncle and grandfather are both Charles Hayes.Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Its Shakti 360 Leti was the forerunner for luxury experiential travel more than 16 years ago, and in the wake of that lodge’s closure (and stone-by-stone dismantling), the new Shakti Prana in Kumaon will continue that evolution.Ann Abel, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Now unified under a mainstream banner, the genre has become a forerunner of popular music.Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 10 June 2024
Noun
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Stack has attributed this to his father’s short temper.Jemima McEvoy, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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Officials said the charges came after investigators presented additional evidence to a grand jury following the arrest of 33-year-old Andrew Kammerer, the child's father.Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Such a filing with the state is often a precursor to a lawsuit.Doha Madani, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024
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While not formally a lawsuit, Lively’s action is clearly a precursor to an official filing in the courts to come.Denise Petski, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Microservices may be smaller and easier to maintain than their monolithic predecessors, but running them comes at a cost.Matt Butcher, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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The case is 37 mm, 2 mm larger than its predecessor, and this allowed for some extra real estate to relax the dial layout a bit.Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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To bring this idea to life, Khan recruited a team of engineers that helped to create a working prototype.William Mullane, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
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On the product design side, 2D and 3D image generation can be a powerful tool for rapid prototype creation.Faruk Muratovic, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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