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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Recent Examples of forefather
The statistics were grim—twenty-first-century males were, relative to their forefathers and their female contemporaries, much more likely to fall behind in school, drop out of college, languish in the workforce, or die by overdose or suicide.
—
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Trapping has evolved quite a bit since our forefathers first set out for beaver in the 1800s.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Following the footsteps of her fashion forefathers is also difficult because of high costs and red tape.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Rise up like the American forefathers did a few hundred years ago.
—Joe Hudicka, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Trapping has evolved quite a bit since our forefathers first set out for beaver in the 1800s.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Following the footsteps of her fashion forefathers is also difficult because of high costs and red tape.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Rise up like the American forefathers did a few hundred years ago.
—Joe Hudicka, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forefather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forefather
Noun
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Florentine society had changed a good deal since the days of their illustrious ancestor; noble blood had in fact become something of a liability.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
29 May 2025
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One of these two lineages is the ancestor of the present-day strains, while the other strain re-emerged over centuries in Europe and went extinct by the early 19th century.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Even more breathtaking than Williams' entrance, though, was her brief scene beside the bed of Jen's dying grandfather, which would ultimately kick off the first of countless tearjerker moments peppered throughout the series.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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After his grandfather died a few years later, Pitsaev and his mom moved back to Chechnya.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
24 May 2025
Noun
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These individuals were someone’s son, brother, father, and community members, yet they were treated as less than human. New York jails and prisons house more individuals with mental illness than any psychiatric hospital in the country.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
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Jelena Dokic, a former world No. 4 and Wimbledon semifinalist, has confirmed that her estranged father, Damir, has died aged 67.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forefather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forefather. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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