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progenitor

[ proh-jen-i-ter ]
/ proʊˈdʒɛn ɪ tər /
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See synonyms for: progenitor / progenitors on Thesaurus.com

noun
a biologically related ancestor: a progenitor of the species.
a person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something, or serves as a model; predecessor; precursor: the progenitor of modern painting.
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Origin of progenitor

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin prōgenitor the founder of a family. See pro-1, genitor

OTHER WORDS FROM progenitor

pro·gen·i·to·ri·al [proh-jen-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-], /proʊˌdʒɛn ɪˈtɔr i əl, -ˈtoʊr-/, adjectivepro·gen·i·tor·ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use progenitor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for progenitor

progenitor
/ (prəʊˈdʒɛnɪtə) /

noun
a direct ancestor
an originator or founder of a future development; precursor

Word Origin for progenitor

C14: from Latin: ancestor, from pro- 1 + genitor parent, from gignere to beget
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
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