Meaning & use
forefather
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Meanings
nouncountableformal
A person in your family who lived long ago, especially one seen as starting a family line.
Grammar: Often used in the plural: my forefathers. Takes a possessive or 'the' before it.
Patterns
- someone's forefathers
- the forefathers of something
He traced his family back to forefathers who arrived in the 1700s.
Our forefathers built this town from nothing.
nouncountableformal
A person from the past who began or shaped a nation, religion, or tradition.
Grammar: Usually plural and often with 'the': the forefathers of the nation.
Patterns
- the forefathers of a nation
- a forefather of a movement
The forefathers of the country wrote its first laws.
She is regarded as a forefather of modern nursing.
Word forms
| plural | forefathers |
|---|
Common combinations
- our forefathers
- Our forefathers fought for the freedoms we enjoy.
- the forefathers of the nation
- The forefathers of the nation are honored in this holiday.
- a founding forefather
- He is considered a founding forefather of the republic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ancestor
- Ancestor is the general word for any family member from earlier generations; forefather is more formal and often suggests importance or founding.
- forebear
- Forebear is similar but slightly less formal and does not always imply a founder role.
Opposites
Word family
- foremother noun
- A female ancestor or founder, used especially to balance 'forefather'.
Commonly confused: forefather or grandfather?
forefather vs grandfather
Grandfather means the father of your parent, a specific recent relative, while forefather refers to a distant ancestor.
Practice
In the sentence 'The forefathers of our nation signed the treaty,' what does 'forefathers' mean?
Choose one answer.
Forefathers here means the early founders or ancestors of the nation, not living fathers or grandfathers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forefather”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.