FOREBEAR Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

forebear

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌber

variants also forbear

Definition of forebear

as in ancestor

a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent his forebears came to America on the Mayflower

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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 forebear For anyone wanting to see or experience the sites and vestiges of Miami’s ancient inhabitants, the people known as Tequesta and their even more enigmatic Archaic forebears, there are only a few places to go. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Eight Dukes of Wellington and two very full centuries on from that 1825 procession, on this June 16, the 9th Duke rode, as each of his forbears did and as the future heirs to the ducal title will do, in the lead carriage with the king to open Royal Ascot. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Since then, Istanbul has seen only mayors from his AKP party and its forebears, the Welfare and Virtue parties. — Kaya Genç, The Dial, 9 June 2026 In 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site to see where, almost a century and a half earlier, their forebears had fought to dethrone a king, showing the world that another system of government was possible. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for forebear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear

Noun

Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
While Qingming focuses primarily on one’s own ancestors, the Hungry Ghost Festival extends offerings to wandering spirits and the unclaimed dead.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

A week earlier, with Eldridge on bereavement leave, the family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to bury his grandfather, Edward Kenney, a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who died in March.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
After her grandfather Elia Kazan adapted John Steinbeck’s novel into a celebrated film, Zoe Kazan is taking a crack at a newer retelling of the family saga.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of grandfather

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“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of forebear

noun

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