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ancêtre

ancestor

noun ahn-SET-ruh Less Common
People & Society Family

Origin: From Latin antecessor, 'one who goes before'.

Also means

forerunner, precursor

Usage Note

ancêtre is both masculine and feminine (un ancêtre, une ancêtre), though masculine is more common as the default. The plural ancêtres often means 'forebears' collectively. Figuratively, l'ancêtre de l'ordinateur ('the ancestor of the computer') refers to an early precursor. The adjective ancestral means 'ancestral, age-old'.

Examples

"Mes ancêtres venaient d'Italie."

Natural Translation

My ancestors came from Italy.

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