progenitor
noun
pro·gen·i·tor
prō-ˈje-nə-tər 
prə-
1
a
: an ancestor in the direct line : forefather
b
: a biologically ancestral form
2
: precursor, originator
progenitors of socialist ideas—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)progenitor cells
Examples of progenitor in a Sentence
the progenitors of modern art
wild cats that were the progenitors of the house cat
Recent Examples on the Web
Topline Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of heavy metal progenitors Black Sabbath and a multi-platinum selling solo artist, has died at 76, his family confirmed to the BBC, just weeks after his final performance with his old band while still battling Parkinson’s disease.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
African-American bluegrass guitarist Arnold Schultz was a Kentuckian whose credits include offering bluegrass progenitor Bill Monroe one of his first paying jobs as a musician, playing together at square dances.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 16 July 2025
Hard rock progenitors Led Zeppelin had the top music documentary in the first half of the year with Becoming Led Zeppelin, which Luminate said helped drive a 23 percent bump in their streaming numbers.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
However, none of these methods have, so far, reliably pinpointed the stem cells or progenitors capable of yielding fresh neurons–leaving room for doubt.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
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Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
African-American bluegrass guitarist Arnold Schultz was a Kentuckian whose credits include offering bluegrass progenitor Bill Monroe one of his first paying jobs as a musician, playing together at square dances.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 16 July 2025
Hard rock progenitors Led Zeppelin had the top music documentary in the first half of the year with Becoming Led Zeppelin, which Luminate said helped drive a 23 percent bump in their streaming numbers.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
However, none of these methods have, so far, reliably pinpointed the stem cells or progenitors capable of yielding fresh neurons–leaving room for doubt.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progenitor. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
progenitor
noun
pro·gen·i·tor
prō-ˈjen-ət-ər, prə-
1
: an ancestor of an individual in a direct line of descent along which some or all of the ancestral genes could theoretically have passed
2
: a biologically ancestral form
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