forebear

[fawr-bair, fohr-]

See more synonyms for forebear on Thesaurus.com

noun

Usually forebears. ancestors; forefathers.

Also forbear.

Origin of forebear

1425–75; Middle English (Scots), equivalent to fore- fore- + -bear being, variant of beer; see be, -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for forebears

Contemporary Examples

One imagines that the latest pope, a Jesuit, is familiar with the centuries of calumny that have been heaped upon his forebears.
Thank God Pope Francis Is a Jesuit
Jonathan Wright
March 16, 2013
Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten the lessons learned by our Victorian forebears.
The Big Idea: How Commerce Spreads Contagion
Mark Harrison
January 18, 2013
For centuries, the forebears of men and women like Paul Peschkowsky were barred from citizenship and its rights.
An Oscar Winner’s Secret History
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
October 14, 2010

Historical Examples

The zebra is striped 356rather than spotted because its forebears wore stripes.
The Blue Wall
Richard Washburn Child
You'll find it easy to trace the strong resemblance Frankie has to his forebears.
Old Mr. Wiley
Fanny Greye La Spina
Like his forebears and contemporaries, he looked upon man as the real being.
The Blind Spot
Austin Hall
The trumpet-call of her forebears was in those stirring lines.
Heroines of Service
Mary Rosetta Parkman
By the by, father, he says, that the grand old place once belonged to my forebears.
The World Before Them
Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for forebears

forebear

forbear

noun

an ancestor; forefather

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for forebears

forebear

see forbear. Related: Forebearance; forebears.

forebear

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}forebear

Examples from the Web for forebears

Contemporary Examples

One imagines that the latest pope, a Jesuit, is familiar with the centuries of calumny that have been heaped upon his forebears.

Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten the lessons learned by our Victorian forebears.

For centuries, the forebears of men and women like Paul Peschkowsky were barred from citizenship and its rights.

Historical Examples

The zebra is striped 356rather than spotted because its forebears wore stripes.

You'll find it easy to trace the strong resemblance Frankie has to his forebears.

Like his forebears and contemporaries, he looked upon man as the real being.

The trumpet-call of her forebears was in those stirring lines.

By the by, father, he says, that the grand old place once belonged to my forebears.

forebear

forbear

Word Origin and History for forebears

forebear

Origin of forebear