Synonyms for ancestor

Most common

progenitor · ascendant · antecedent · root · forefather · father · origin

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

Antonyms

descendant, descendent, successor

All antonyms of ancestor →

Definitions

1. n. 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. n. 2

   A word or phrase which serves as the origin of a term in another language.

3. n. 3

   An earlier type; a progenitor.

   This fossil animal is regarded as the ancestor of the horse.

Related words

Word family

ancestorism ancestry

Phrases

ancestor worship last universal ancestor last common ancestor

Is a kind of

predecessor relative

Forms

Plural

ancestors → progenitors, ascendants, antecedents, roots…

Example sentences

• root Quichua is like the root of the indigenous people.
• progenitor The progenitor of the human race was named Tom.
• patriarch Ziri is our family's patriarch.
• forefather Abraham was correct and the forefather of many.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

root¹

6 letters

father², source¹, origin³, reflex², etymon

7 letters

forbear

8 letters

foregoer

9 letters

precursor³, patriarch³, ascendant³

10 letters

forerunner³, progenitor⁴, antecedent⁴, forefather³, antecessor

11 letters

predecessor⁴

12 letters

primogenitor

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (father² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

ancêtre

Italiano

antenato

Español

antepasado

Català

avantpassat