noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:fôʹfäthə
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:fôrʹfäthər
General-American:/ˈfɔɹˌfɑːðɚ/
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 R F AA2 DH ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An ancestor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A cultural ancestor; one who originated an idea or tradition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition shared by some group
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
our forefathers brought forth a great nation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: predecessor
History
Etymology
From Middle English forefader, forfader, vorvader, from Old English forefæder (“forefather”), but possibly also merged with Old Norse forfaðir. Equivalent to fore- + father. Compare Dutch voorvader (“forefather”), German Vorvater, Vorfahr (“forefather”), Danish forfader (“forefather”), Swedish förfader (“forefather”).
Across languages
Translations
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
նախահայր
(naxahayr)
— ancestor
Azerbaijani:
ata-baba
— ancestor
Bulgarian:
предци
(predci)
— ancestor
Czech:
předek
— ancestor
Danish:
forfader
— ancestor
Danish:
ane
— ancestor
Dutch:
voorvader
— ancestor
Esperanto:
prapatro (M)
— ancestor
Esperanto:
praulo
— ancestor
Finnish:
esi-isä
— ancestor
French:
aïeul
— ancestor
French:
ancêtre
— ancestor
German:
Vorfahre
— ancestor
Ancient Greek:
γεννήτωρ
(gennḗtōr)
— ancestor
Ancient Greek:
προπάτωρ
(propátōr)
— ancestor
Ancient Greek:
φῡ́σᾱς
(phū́sās)
— ancestor
Hindi:
पूर्वज
(pūrvaj)
— ancestor
Italian:
avo
— ancestor
Italian:
ascendente
— ancestor
Italian:
antenato
— ancestor
Italian:
progenitore
— ancestor
Japanese:
前任者
(zenninsha)
— ancestor
Judeo-Italian:
פַאטֵירוֹ
— ancestor
Māori:
tipuna tāne
— ancestor
Māori:
tupuna tāne
— ancestor
Middle English:
forfader
— ancestor
Middle English:
fornfader
— ancestor
Middle English:
forme fader
— ancestor
Khiamniungan Naga:
pàusǜpòu
— ancestor
Norwegian Bokmål:
forfader
— ancestor
Norwegian Bokmål:
stamfar
— ancestor
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forfar
— ancestor
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forfader
— ancestor
Norwegian Nynorsk:
stamfar
— ancestor
Old English:
ǣrfæder
— ancestor
Old Turkic:
𐰯𐰀
(apa)
— ancestor
Plautdietsch:
Väavoda
— ancestor
Polish:
przodek
— ancestor
Polish:
antenat
— ancestor
Portuguese:
antepassado
— ancestor
Russian:
пре́док
(prédok)
— ancestor
Russian:
прароди́тель
(prarodítelʹ)
— ancestor
Russian:
пра́щур
(práščur)
— ancestor
Russian:
праоте́ц
(praotéc)
— ancestor
Spanish:
ancestro
— ancestor
Spanish:
antepasado
— ancestor
Spanish:
ascendiente
— ancestor
Spanish:
predecesor
— ancestor
Swedish:
förfader
— ancestor
Tok Pisin:
tumbuna
— ancestor
Tok Pisin:
tambaran
— ancestor
Turkish:
ata
— ancestor
Ukrainian:
пре́док
(prédok)
— ancestor
Ukrainian:
пра́щур
(práščur)
— ancestor
Volapük:
büröletan
— ancestor
Volapük:
hibüröletan
— ancestor
Bulgarian:
предтеча
(predteča)
— cultural ancestor