Synonyms of ancestor
12 similar words · 2 opposite words
Another word for ancestor is fore-elder. Other synonyms of ancestor are progenitor, forefather, forebear, antecedent and forerunner. The opposite of ancestor is descendant.
Synonyms and similar words for ancestor
nounOne from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of...
- forebearAn ancestor.
- fore-elderA progenitor or ancestor.
- forefatherAn ancestor.
nounOne who had the same role or function in former times.
- predecessorOne who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes...
nounA word or phrase which serves as the origin of a term in another language.
nounMore synonyms
- antecedentAn ancestor.
- ascendantAn ancestor.
- ascendent
- forerunnerA forebear, an ancestor, a predecessor.
- progenitorA forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
Opposite of ancestor
nounMore antonyms
- descendantOne of the progeny of a specified person, at any distance of time or through any number of generations.
- afterbearA descendant; one who comes after another genealogically.
Meaning of ancestor
- noun One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear.
- noun An earlier type; a progenitor.
- noun One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir.
ancestor in other languages
Questions about synonyms of ancestor
- What is another word for ancestor?
- Ancestor has 12 synonyms on Word.ws, such as fore-elder, progenitor, forefather, forebear, antecedent, forerunner and ascendant.
- What is the opposite of ancestor?
- The opposite of ancestor is descendant.
- What does ancestor mean?
- Ancestor means one from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: ancestor (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this page: “Synonyms of ancestor.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/ancestor. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.