noun
- a person who comes before another in time; a predecessor or ancestor
Usage: often used in formal or historical contexts; sometimes spelled 'forebear' (though 'forebearer' is the more explicit form)
Examples
- The forebearer of modern democracy was established in ancient Greece.
- Many of our forebearer's traditions are still practiced today.
- She studied the lives of her forebearers to understand her family history.
- The forebearer of this technology was invented over a century ago.
- Our forebearers faced challenges that shaped the nation we live in today.