ancestor

American  

[an-ses-ter, -suh-ster] / ˈæn sɛs tər, -sə stər /

noun

• ancestors
  plural

1. a person from whom one is descended; forebear; progenitor.

2. Biology. the actual or hypothetical form or stock from which an organism has developed or descended.

3. an object, idea, style, or occurrence serving as a prototype, forerunner, or inspiration to a later one.

   The balloon is an ancestor of the modern dirigible.

4. a person who serves as an influence or model for another; one from whom mental, artistic, spiritual, etc., descent is claimed.

   a philosophical ancestor.

5. Law. a person from whom an heir derives an inheritance.

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ancestor British  

/ ˈænsɛstə /

noun

1. (often plural) a person from whom another is directly descended, esp someone more distant than a grandparent; forefather

2. an early type of animal or plant from which a later, usually dissimilar, type has evolved

3. a person or thing regarded as a forerunner of a later person or thing

   the ancestor of the modern camera

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ancestress
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ancestors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ancestor

1250–1300; Middle English ancestre < Old French (with t developed between s and r ) < Latin antecessor antecessor

Explanation

An ancestor came before. Your grandmother's grandmother and any relative before her is one of your ancestors. Ante-, a common Latin prefix, means "before." Cedere is Latin for "to go." So, an ancestor is someone who has gone before us. Evolutionary biologists have advanced the theory that all life on earth descends from a common ancestor. Ancestor can also mean "prototype" or "forerunner." The abacus is a distant ancestor of today's supercomputers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ancestor ancestors

"When we compare humans with other primates, we are looking at abilities that may have come from a common ancestor," Cuaya added.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

The researchers also detected genetic material from an even more ancient population, which they call a super-archaic ancestor.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

An ancestor first lost its paired eyes after becoming largely inactive, retained a simple central eye, and later used parts of that structure to build a new and more advanced visual system.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

The researchers say the use of touch to build trust and cooperation may date back at least seven million years, before humans, chimpanzees and bonobos split from a common ancestor.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

I could accept him as my ancestor, my younger brother, my friend, but not as my master, and not as my lover.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler

There’s lessons about learning from your mistakes, honoring your ancestors and loving yourself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

"I think that the transatlantic slave trade was the greatest crime against humanity, and ancestors also took part as players in that trade," says the king.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

"But as it is coming for those who came before me, our elders and ancestors, we know how to roll up our sleeves and fight. So that's what we're gonna do."

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

“For centuries, members of my family have served as noble knights, guarding the treasure our ancestors bequeathed to us.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• forebear
• forefather
• founder