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
The ancestors were taken from the Riverside Cemetery site near the Menominee River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between 1961 and 1963 during a joint excavation led by anthropologists Robert Retzenthaler for the Milwaukee Public Museum and Robert Hrushka for the Oshkosh Public Museum.
—
Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Furthermore, the analyses consistently position the new species as an ancestor of the entire dyrosaurid group.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
As Dia de los Muertos approaches, Orange County communities are preparing for the celebration of ancestors and the dead that is traditionally held the first days of November.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
Early West African cultures thought children were the reincarnated spirits of their ancestors.
—K. Ward Cummings, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Furthermore, the analyses consistently position the new species as an ancestor of the entire dyrosaurid group.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
As Dia de los Muertos approaches, Orange County communities are preparing for the celebration of ancestors and the dead that is traditionally held the first days of November.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
Early West African cultures thought children were the reincarnated spirits of their ancestors.
—K. Ward Cummings, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share