forebear

[ fawr-bair, fohr- ]

noun

1. Usually forebears. ancestors; forefathers.

forebear

/ ˈfɔːˌbɛə /

noun

1. an ancestor; forefather

Word History and Origins

Origin of forebear¹

1425–75; Middle English (Scots), equivalent to fore- fore- + -bear “being,” variant of beer; be, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Pennsylvania plays a key role in the NAR’s plans, and reinventing the state’s eponymous founder, William Penn, as a like-minded forebear — rather than the champion of religious diversity and secular government he actually was — is a core part of their strategy, as advanced by NAR apostle Abby Abildness.

From Salon

While the 2024 Olympics will look and feel a far cry from their forebear – as Paris welcomes 10,500 athletes to take part in its grand calendar of sports, none of them featuring a paintbrush – the 1924 edition helped to point the way towards the global spectacle we recognise as the Games today.

From BBC

Named for its Star Trek forebear, Holodeck generates a virtually limitless range of indoor environments, using AI to interpret users' requests.

From Science Daily

At the moment, none of the new hominins is convincing as a direct forebear of Homo.

From Science Magazine

In the 1940s, it was renamed the Glynne Arms but was condemned as unsafe and scheduled for demolition until a forebear of Marston’s bought it and made it safe.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• forefather