FOREFATHER Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

forefather

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌfä-t͟hər

Definition of forefather

as in ancestor

a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent our forefathers bought this farm, and our family has worked it for three generations

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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 forefather The Nuggets forefathers witnessed him before the rest of Denver, as if it was meant to be that Jamal Murray would become one of them. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026 Our economic systems are not serving the people who live here, whose forefathers established this new republic, and our grandparents actualized the peak of its success. — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Many consider the late cultural icon Bruce Lee a forefather of mixed martial arts, as his philosophy of taking what is useful from various fighting styles directly influenced the sport’s development. — Bhakti Mirchandani, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026 Kelly was one of the most prominent Black fashion designers of the 1980s, and his peers included Willi Smith, known as a forefather of modern-day streetwear, and Dapper Dan, a beloved auteur of hip-hop haberdashery. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for forefather

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather

Noun

Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.

— Mike Catalini, Fortune, 30 June 2026
One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.

— Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

In 1926, Brian's great-grandfather, Henry Knoebel, opened a pool that would mark the official start of the family’s park.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
The supplies will be taken to Miami and then Venezuela by Olarte Transport, said volunteer Andrea Casanova, 28, whose grandfather was in Venezuela when the earthquakes struck.

— Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of grandfather

Noun

The news of the arrest caught the attention of the family of Amy McHale, a woman who was once married to Horsch’s father and disappeared nearly 10 years ago.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Her oldest sister, Sonia Gonzalez, said Gonzalez reminds her a lot of their father, who reinvented himself many times over the years.

— Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of father

Browse Nearby Words

foredooms

forefather

forefathers

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“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of forefather

noun

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