progenitor
noun
pro·gen·i·tor
prō-ˈje-nə-tər 
prə-
1
a
: an ancestor in the direct line : forefather
b
: a biologically ancestral form
2
: precursor, originator
progenitors of socialist ideas—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)progenitor cells
Examples of progenitor in a Sentence
the progenitors of modern art
wild cats that were the progenitors of the house cat
Recent Examples on the Web
Preppy style—like its most notable modern progenitor, Ralph Lauren—is coded as all-American.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025
Theosophy, or divine wisdom, was a progenitor of the New Age movement of the 20th century.
—Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2025
In Anne Rice lore, Akasha is known as the progenitor of all vampires.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Astronomers have long puzzled over the apparent lack of luminous red supergiant stars in pre-explosion images, even though models predict that these stars should dominate the population of core-collapse supernova progenitors.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
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Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025
Theosophy, or divine wisdom, was a progenitor of the New Age movement of the 20th century.
—Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2025
In Anne Rice lore, Akasha is known as the progenitor of all vampires.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025
Astronomers have long puzzled over the apparent lack of luminous red supergiant stars in pre-explosion images, even though models predict that these stars should dominate the population of core-collapse supernova progenitors.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for progenitor
Cite this Entry
“Progenitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progenitor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
progenitor
noun
pro·gen·i·tor
prō-ˈjen-ət-ər, prə-
1
: an ancestor of an individual in a direct line of descent along which some or all of the ancestral genes could theoretically have passed
2
: a biologically ancestral form
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