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Definition of ancestress

ancestress

/ˈænˌsɛs.trəs/
an · ces · tress
Adverb:ancestrally
•
Plural:ancestresses
•
Adjective:ancestral
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ancestress Lexical Profile

ancestress Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A female ancestor; a woman from whom a person or group is descended.

Example

"The portrait in the main hallway depicts a seventeenth-century ancestress of the royal family."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

ancestor
ancestral
ancestrally
ancestress
ancestry
ancho
anchor

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in late Middle English from "ancestor" plus the feminine suffix "-ess"; "ancestor" derives via Old French from Latin "antecessor" ("one who goes before").

Cite this Entry

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