ANCESTOR: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for ANCESTOR?

Need another word that means the same as “ancestor”? Find 10 synonyms and 30 related words for “ancestor” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Ancestor” are: antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root, forebear, forefather, predecessor, progenitor, forerunner, precursor

Ancestor as a Noun

Definitions of "Ancestor" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “ancestor” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended.
• An early version of a machine, system, etc.
• Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent.
• An early type of animal or plant from which others have evolved.

Synonyms of "Ancestor" as a noun (10 Words)

antecedent	Anything that precedes something similar in time. Her early life and antecedents have been traced.
ascendant	Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent. That idea was in the ascendant.
ascendent	Position or state of being dominant or in control.
forebear	An ancestor. Generations of his forebears had lived in London.
forefather	A precursor of a particular movement. Our forefathers brought forth a great nation.
forerunner	A sign or warning of something to come. Overcast mornings are the sure forerunners of steady rain.
precursor	A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner. Pepsinogen is the inactive precursor of pepsin.
predecessor	A thing that has been followed or replaced by another. The chapel was built in 1864 on the site of its predecessor.
progenitor	A person or thing from which a person, animal, or plant is descended or originates; an ancestor or parent. The progenitor of modern jazz.
root	Any plant grown for its root. The root cause of the problem.

Usage Examples of "Ancestor" as a noun

• This instrument is an ancestor of the lute.
• The ancestor of most dolphins is not clear.
• He could trace his ancestors back to James the First.
• Both species of elephant have a common ancestor.

Associations of "Ancestor" (30 Words)

ancestral	Inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent. Ancestral home.
antecedent	Denoting or counting as an antecedent. Antecedent events.
ascendant	Position or state of being dominant or in control. That idea was in the ascendant.
blood	The fluid red in vertebrates that is pumped through the body by the heart and contains plasma blood cells and platelets. The ancients believed that blood was the seat of the emotions.
clan	Group of people related by blood or marriage. The Watts clan is one of racing s oldest families.
daddy	An informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk. It s you who s calling the shots now you re the daddy.
elder	An official in the early Christian Church, or of various Protestant Churches and sects. She was two years his elder.
family	A person having kinship with another or others. The house has been owned by the same family for 300 years.
forebear	An ancestor. Generations of his forebears had lived in London.
forefather	Person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition shared by some group. Our forefathers brought forth a great nation.
former	(used especially of persons) of the immediate past. The former president.
hometown	The town (or city) where you grew up or where you have your principal residence. He never went back to his hometown again.
lineage	The descendants of one individual. The myeloid lineage.
lineal	Relating to or consisting of lines; linear. A lineal descendant.
mommy	One’s mother (chiefly as a child’s term).
mulatto	An offspring of a black and a white parent.
offspring	The product or result of something. She was the mother of many offspring.
parent	Be or act as a parent to a child. His adoptive parents.
paternal	Showing a kindness and care associated with a father; fatherly. His father and paternal grandfather were porcelain painters.
patriarch	A man who is older and higher in rank than yourself. He s the patriarch of all spin doctors.
pedigree	The record of descent of an animal, showing it to be pure-bred. The debate about pedigree and family fortunes.
precede	Furnish with a preface or introduction. A gun battle had preceded the explosions.
preceding	Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office. The preceding pages.
predecessor	Something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone. The new President s foreign policy is very similar to that of his predecessor.
primogenitor	An ancestor, especially the earliest ancestor of a people; a progenitor.
priority	The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others. National independence takes priority over class struggle.
progenitor	An ancestor in the direct line. The progenitor of modern jazz.
sibling	Each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister.
unmixed	Not constituting a compound. Not an unmixed blessing.
worship	The activity of worshipping. They worship in the traditional manner.