ANCESTORS Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

ancestors

noun

plural of ancestor

as in grandfathers

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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as in forerunners

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ancestors Athorp’s easygoing, unassuming demeanor belies his decades-long experience and expertise, which are rooted in the knowledge passed down by his Indigenous ancestors. — Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026 According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition. — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 The timing has raised questions about whether the environmental changes following that extinction helped the fungus’s ancestors thrive. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026 On Día de los Muertos, it is believed that the spirits of ancestors return to visit the living. — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 The Halloween season reminds us of ghosts, spirits and ancestors. — Ashton Verdery, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 These places connect us to our ancestors and provide opportunities to pass knowledge and responsibilities from one generation to the next. — Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Archeological records show their Algonquian-speaking ancestors arrived in the easternmost reaches of what is now Long Island about 10,000 years ago. — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026 The ancestors of today’s trees are some 20,000 times older than the oldest cities. — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestors

Noun

One of my grandfathers was in the seminary and he was killed by the Republicans.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
His grandfathers are former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis, an All-America defensive back for the Wolverines, and his brother is Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of grandfathers

Noun

Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forerunners

Noun

Soon the fathers, mothers and grandparents cheering girls’ soccer teams will exchange their uncomfortable folding chairs for the hard bleacher seats of indoor soccer or basketball.

— Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Roughly 24 hours after the fathers told the court about the surrogate giving birth, Uthmeier’s office petitioned to intervene as a party in the court case.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of fathers

Noun

Should tens of thousands of American lives have been saved as a result of decisions made about fentanyl precursors in China, the implications are massive.

— J. Travis Donahoe, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026
Just as concerning, the pair may run into the same eligibility issues at the precursors as Seyfried.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursors

Browse Nearby Words

ancestor

ancestors

ancestral

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Style

“Ancestors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestors. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ancestors

noun

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