ancestor
noun
an·ces·tor
ˈan-ˌse-stər 
also -sə-
1
a
: one from whom a person is descended and who is usually more remote in the line of descent than a grandparent
Her ancestors came to America in the 1880s.
2
: forerunner, prototype
an exhibit of the ancestors of the modern computer
3
: a progenitor (see progenitor sense 1b) of a more recent or existing species or group
the ancestor of the modern horse
Examples of ancestor in a Sentence
My ancestors came to America during the 1800s.
Her ancestors were great sea captains.
an ancient animal that was the ancestor of the modern horse
The museum included an exhibit showing ancestors of the modern computer.
several languages that are derived from a common ancestor
Latin is the ancestor of Italian and French.
Recent Examples on the Web
Until recently, the ancestors of insects were thought to be more millipede-like and evolved once invertebrates began to live on land.
—
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
During the Pleistocene, our ancestors lived through several different ice ages.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2025
Tavares-Abel plans to use stop motion animation to tell the story of her ancestor’s migration ordeal.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
The researchers found that these mutations, which arose in the ancestors of all modern horses, allow their muscle cells to produce up to five times more energy than mouse cells, while simultaneously ramping up their damage-control system by 200%.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
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Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
During the Pleistocene, our ancestors lived through several different ice ages.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2025
Tavares-Abel plans to use stop motion animation to tell the story of her ancestor’s migration ordeal.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
The researchers found that these mutations, which arose in the ancestors of all modern horses, allow their muscle cells to produce up to five times more energy than mouse cells, while simultaneously ramping up their damage-control system by 200%.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestor. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ancestor
noun
an·ces·tor
ˈan-ˌses-tər
1
: one from whom an individual, group, or species is descended
2
: something from which something else has developed : forerunner
Etymology
Middle English ancestre "ancestor," from early French ancestre (same meaning), from Latin antecessor "one that goes before," derived from earlier antecedere "to go before," from ante- "before" and cedere "to go, yield" — related to concede, predecessor
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