as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
villagers who still practice many of the customs of their forebearers
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Recent Examples of forebearer
Like its classic-rock forebearer Desert Trip, the concert will bring two acts per night to Indio’s Empire Polo Club, on the weekend of Oct. 6-8.
—
August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023
After leaving Alabama, Avinger served a year in the U.S. Army, then signed for a season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union, one of the forebearers of the Canadian Football League.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 17 Apr. 2023
Growing population size would have affected our forebearers another way, too: by accelerating the pace of evolution.
—Rachel Caspari, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2012
Based on the analysis the team built a virtual model of what this land-dwelling forebearer to flying insects looked like.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2019
Mike Brown said the digital driver license is the forebearer of discriminating against the unvaccinated.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Feb. 2022
If successful, The Mayflower Autonomous Ship, named in honor of its famous nautical forebearer and known as MAS for short, will be the first such trans-Atlantic voyage by an autonomous vessel.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2021
Quaker Oats retired Aunt Jemima, allowing her real-life forebearer, Nancy Green, to step out of the shadows of a minstrel past.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2020
Chickamauga is two lakes upstream from Guntersville and other TVA lakes in Alabama, which likely means the fish or their forebearers passed through Alabama waters and that lots of them could still be there.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 22 Jan. 2020
August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023
After leaving Alabama, Avinger served a year in the U.S. Army, then signed for a season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union, one of the forebearers of the Canadian Football League.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 17 Apr. 2023
Growing population size would have affected our forebearers another way, too: by accelerating the pace of evolution.
—Rachel Caspari, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2012
Based on the analysis the team built a virtual model of what this land-dwelling forebearer to flying insects looked like.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2019
Mike Brown said the digital driver license is the forebearer of discriminating against the unvaccinated.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Feb. 2022
If successful, The Mayflower Autonomous Ship, named in honor of its famous nautical forebearer and known as MAS for short, will be the first such trans-Atlantic voyage by an autonomous vessel.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2021
Quaker Oats retired Aunt Jemima, allowing her real-life forebearer, Nancy Green, to step out of the shadows of a minstrel past.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2020
Chickamauga is two lakes upstream from Guntersville and other TVA lakes in Alabama, which likely means the fish or their forebearers passed through Alabama waters and that lots of them could still be there.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 22 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebearer
Noun
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However, many oral histories passed down in indigenous groups in Canada and the U.S. have contradicted this idea, suggesting that smaller groups made the journey over different periods of time and their ancestors told the tales of a great crossing, VOA News reports.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2025
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The driving force for the tour guides is the idea that Black Americans and Muslims must unapologetically tell their own story, an experience that so many of their ancestors were robbed of due to slavery.—
Ahmed Ali Akbar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The local carry-out spot, now run by third-generation owner Jermaine Blackmon, was originally opened in 1952 by his grandfather.—
Chyna Blackmon,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Feb. 2025
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Trump, whose grandfather is President Donald Trump, played during the weekend tournament, while Woods opted to not participate competitively after recently losing his mother.—
Mikelle Street,
WWD,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The boy’s father, Nicolas Barcet, is accused of chasing his son around their home in St. Petersburg, then binding the boy from his shoulders to his feet and leaving him alone in his room, according an arrest affidavit obtained by the Daily News.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
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Jojo Gonzalez is endearing and funny as Kisa’s grieving father, Isamu (as well as Isamu’s no-nonsense brother).—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to forebearer
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Cite this Entry
“Forebearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebearer. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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