forebearer

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌber-ər How to pronounce forebearer (audio)
Definition of forebearernext
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent villagers who still practice many of the customs of their forebearers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 forebearer Mike Brown said the digital driver license is the forebearer of discriminating against the unvaccinated. — Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Feb. 2022 If successful, The Mayflower Autonomous Ship, named in honor of its famous nautical forebearer and known as MAS for short, will be the first such trans-Atlantic voyage by an autonomous vessel. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2021 Quaker Oats retired Aunt Jemima, allowing her real-life forebearer, Nancy Green, to step out of the shadows of a minstrel past. — Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2020 Chickamauga is two lakes upstream from Guntersville and other TVA lakes in Alabama, which likely means the fish or their forebearers passed through Alabama waters and that lots of them could still be there. — Frank Sargeant, al, 22 Jan. 2020 Our generation inherited a healthy ocean from our forebearers. — CNN, 24 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebearer
  1. ancestor
  2. grandfather
  3. father
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
Noun
  • The Dune star has five older half siblings from her father’s previous relationship.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • His father, William Hawley, said legal action was the only way to get answers.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of father

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Cite this Entry

“Forebearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebearer. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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