ancestor

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

Etymology

From Middle English ancestre, auncestre, ancessour; the first forms from Old French ancestre (modern French ancêtre), from the Latin nominative antecessor (“one who goes before”); the last form from Old French ancessor, from Latin antecessōrem, accusative of antecessor, from antecēdō (“to go before”) + -tor (“-er”), from ante- (“before”) + cēdō (“to go”). See cede, and compare with antecessor.

In classic literature

Synonyms

ascendant, ascendent, antecedent, root

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
relative
Narrower (hyponyms)
forefather, forebear, ancestress, progenitor, foremother
Opposite (antonyms)
descendant

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