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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.

The hedge-born man conceived in a hookup under the hawthorn bushes in 17th-century Britain was the direct linguistic ancestor of today’s naked short-sellers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Both 72, they call the event Los Tradicionales — “the traditional ones” — because their goal is to help preserve Cuba’s rich dance heritage, from rumba to timba to casino, an ancestor of salsa.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Lord Courtenay entered the upper chamber in 2018 after inheriting his late father's title, which was first given to a distant ancestor in 1142, almost 900 years ago.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The museum called the find of the elephant relative and the ancestor of today's slow-moving tree-dwellers with long, curved claws "one of the most relevant" in Costa Rica in decades.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

“One time my daddy saw his ancestor who’d been dead a hundred years,” I said, stubborn.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns




Vocabulary lists containing ancestor