forebear
One who preceded
A forebear is an ancestor—someone from whom you descend.
The word usually appears in the plural and often reaches back several generations: Our forebears settled this valley in the 1840s.
It carries a slightly formal or literary tone, suggesting respect for those who came before.
Also spelled forbear, though that spelling more commonly means to refrain from something.
Ancestor or originator
- foremotherFemale forebear
- antecedentSomething that precedes
- primogenitorEarliest ancestor of lineage
- patriarchMale head of family
matriarch · begetter · sire · dame · procreator · predecessor · grandsire · granddam
Study of family descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- pedigreeRecord of descent
dynasty · clan · kinfolk · tribe · house · stock · line · roots
Parent once removed
- great-grandparentGrandparent's mother or father
- grandfatherFather's or mother's father
- grandmotherMother of a parent
- elderSenior figure of authority
great-great-grandparent · patriarch · matriarch · aged · senior · ancestress
Custom passed through generations
- legacyWhat's passed down
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
folklore · roots · culture · bequest · endowment · birthright · patrimony · relics
Profound admiring respect
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- homageExpression of deep respect
- tributeOffering of respect
- remembranceAct of holding something in mind
commemoration · memorial · respect · deference · devotion · gratitude · acknowledgment · offerings
progenitor
Ancestor or originator
- foremotherFemale forebear
- antecedentSomething that precedes
- primogenitorEarliest ancestor of lineage
patriarch · matriarch · begetter · sire · dame · procreator · predecessor · grandsire · granddam · elder
genealogy
Study of family descent
pedigree · dynasty · clan · kinfolk · tribe · house · stock · line · roots · kinship
grandparent
Parent once removed
- great-grandparentGrandparent's mother or father
- grandfatherFather's or mother's father
- grandmotherMother of a parent
elder · great-great-grandparent · patriarch · matriarch · aged · senior · ancestress
tradition
Custom passed through generations
- legacyWhat's passed down
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- heirloomInherited family treasure
customs · folklore · roots · culture · bequest · endowment · birthright · patrimony · relics · artifacts
veneration
Profound admiring respect
remembrance · commemoration · memorial · respect · deference · devotion · gratitude · acknowledgment · offerings · libation
- relativesmother, father, sister, brother, aunt
- fatherhooddad, daddy, papa, father, pa
- kinshipmother, father, sister, brother, children
- ancestorsancestor, ancestors, forefathers, foremother, foremothers
- ancestryancestors, kinship, ancestor, clan, ancestry
- breedingselective breeding, breeder, crossbreeding, mating, breeding pair