Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

ancestor

[an-ses-ter, -suh-ster] / ˈæn sɛs tər, -sə stər /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I teach my students about Didion’s ancestor, Nancy Hardin Cornwall, who trekked westward with the Donner-Reed party in 1846.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Congress created the Tenth Circuit in 1929, and it added the ancestor of the D.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Canada, on the other hand, has done exactly the opposite: If you have a direct ancestor born across the northern border, no matter how far back, you probably qualify.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

And was there a single ancestor with skin bones that gave rise to them all?

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

Percy wasn’t sure what the old seer had meant about Frank’s family history—his great-grandfather destroying camp, his Argonaut ancestor, and the bit about a burned stick controlling Frank’s life.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan




Vocabulary lists containing ancestor


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "ancestor" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com