FOREFATHER Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

forefather

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌfä-t͟hər

Definition of forefather

as in ancestor

a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent our forefathers bought this farm, and our family has worked it for three generations

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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 forefather Like its forefather, the Barreda Mary Janes have three stripes, a low profile, and a round toe. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 June 2026 Kelly was one of the most prominent Black fashion designers of the 1980s, and his peers included Willi Smith, known as a forefather of modern-day streetwear, and Dapper Dan, a beloved auteur of hip-hop haberdashery. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026 Our economic systems are not serving the people who live here, whose forefathers established this new republic, and our grandparents actualized the peak of its success. — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Our forefathers believed that democracy was the best means to establish a meritocracy. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for forefather

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather

Noun

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
Government officials previously said that these 11 families split from a common male-line ancestor some 600 years ago, and are now at least 36 degrees of kinship from Naruhito.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

His grandparents owned restaurants and his grandfather was one of the first butchers to cut steaks for Morton Steakhouse.

— Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
The designer’s grandfather Mario and his brother Martino opened their luggage and luxury objects store under the Fratelli Prada banner 113 years ago in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

My 80-year-old mother and 87-year-old father were singing Hindu prayers to celebrate one of the most important holidays of our faith.

— Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Lozano Garita is the father of her two youngest children, relatives said.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of father

Browse Nearby Words

foredooms

forefather

forefathers

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“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of forefather

noun

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