foremother

[ fawr-muhth-er, fohr- ]

noun

1. a female ancestor.

foremother

/ ˈfɔːˌmʌðə /

noun

1. a female ancestor

Word History and Origins

Origin of foremother¹

1575–85; fore- + mother ¹ on the model of forefather

Example Sentences

"My hope for the future is that they never are afflicted by racism or sexism or bias and discrimination that those foremothers had to confront and conquer," she said.

From Salon

Women going through menopause in 2024 have access to a slew of products to treat it, much of it bunk, that our foremothers didn’t.

From Salon

“At a time when extremists seek to erase our history and roll back our progress, we should take a lesson from our foremothers and forefathers,” she said.

From Seattle Times

I was like, "This is the story of my foreparents, my queer foremothers."

From Salon

“Pioneer,” a bronze sculpture by Tschabalala Self, celebrates “our foremothers, the many Indigenous and Black women who have allowed America to develop,” Self said.

From New York Times

Related Words

• ancestor
• antecedent
• descent
• extraction
• forebear
• genealogy
• heritage
• lineage
• origin
• parentage