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Definition of ancestor

ancestor

/ˈæn.sɛs.tər/
an · ces · tor
Adverb:ancestrally
•
Plural:ancestors
•
Adjective:ancestral
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ancestor Lexical Profile

ancestor Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended.

Example

"She traced her family tree back to an ancestor who immigrated in the eighteenth century."

2

An early type of animal or plant from which later species have evolved.

Example

"Fossil evidence suggests that modern birds evolved from a feathered dinosaur ancestor."

3

An early version or prototype of an object, machine, or system that later developed into a modern equivalent.

Example

"The abacus is often considered a distant ancestor of the modern digital computer."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

anatomically
anatomist
anatomy
ancestor
ancestral
ancestrally
ancestress

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Old French 'ancestre', which derives from the Latin 'antecessor', meaning 'one who goes before' (from 'ante-', meaning 'before', and 'cedere', meaning 'to go').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ancestor. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ancestor
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