What is another word for ancestor?

Pronunciation: [ˈansɛstə] (IPA)

Ancestry is an important part of identity and history, and there are many synonyms for the word "ancestor" which can provide different perspectives and nuances. Forebear is a more formal synonym which implies a more distant, perhaps more revered ancestor, while forefather has a more patriarchal connotation. Progenitor relates to the originator of a family or lineage and often alludes to biological links, while predecessor suggests a link in a more general sense. The word antecedent implies a causality link to a contemporary entity or idea, while foregoer emphasises a trailblazing effect. All of these synonyms highlight different aspects of the importance of ancestry, and choosing the right one can add depth and richness to one's understanding of the past.

Synonyms for Ancestor:

What are the paraphrases for Ancestor?

Paraphrases are restatements of text or speech using different words and phrasing to convey the same meaning.
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What are the hypernyms for Ancestor?

A hypernym is a word with a broad meaning that encompasses more specific words called hyponyms.

What are the hyponyms for Ancestor?

Hyponyms are more specific words categorized under a broader term, known as a hypernym.

What are the opposite words for ancestor?

The term "ancestor" refers to a person or an animal from whom one is descended, typically one more distant than a grandparent. Some antonyms for the word "ancestor" include descendant, offspring, progeny, and posterity. Descendant refers to a person who is a blood relative in a later generation. Offspring is defined as the descendants of a person, plant, or animal. Progeny means a descendant of a person or animal. Posterity is the future generations of people. Antonyms for "ancestor" point to a person's or animal's descendants rather than their ancestors.

Usage examples for Ancestor

Then she went up into Peter Junior's room and sat there where she had sat seven years before-where she had often sat since-gazing across at the red-coated old ancestor, her hands in her lap, her thoughts busy with her son's future even as then.
"The Eye of Dread"
Payne Erskine
When our savage ancestor felt a pain in his stomach, his simple instinct showed him that if he put things in his mouth and swallowed them the pain in the stomach would leave.
"Dollars and Sense"
Col. Wm. C. Hunter
I cannot ascertain upon what principle those different divisions which are sometimes called tribes, sometimes clans, are formed; since it is by no means safe to assume that they necessarily consist of descendants from one common ancestor.
"The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies"
Robert Gordon Latham

Famous quotes with Ancestor

  • A friend of ours has a hobby doing genealogy, and we found out that we were cousins in the ninth degree, that we had a common ancestor on the Mayflower.
    Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • For over two billion years, through the apparent fancy of her endless differentiations and metamorphosis the Cell, as regards its basic physiological mechanisms, has remained one and the same. It is life itself, and our true and distant ancestor.
    Albert Claude
  • I see the player piano as the grandfather of the computer, the ancestor of the entire nightmare we live in, the birth of the binary world where there is no option other than yes or no and where there is no refuge.
    William Gaddis
  • We observe closely related species in sympatry and infer how they evolved from a common ancestor.
    Peter R. Grant
  • And, you know, the fact is, if you believe in evolution, we all have a common ancestor, and we all have a common ancestry with the plant in the lobby. This is what evolution tells us. And, it's true. It's kind of unbelievable.
    Jeff Hawkins

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