Word
forebears
Phoneticsfore·bears, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɔɹˌbɛɹz/
UK/fˈɔːbeəz/
Countable noun
Definition
n. people in your family or community who lived long before you were born — your ancestors from the past.
n. ancestors from earlier generations, especially of a family, people, or cultural tradition.
Examples
“We remember our forebears on this special day.”
“The family keeps old letters from their forebears in a wooden box in the attic.”
“Unlike their forebears who farmed the same valley for centuries, the younger generation seeks work in distant cities.”
Examples
simple
“We remember our forebears on this special day.”
contextual
“The family keeps old letters from their forebears in a wooden box in the attic.”
complex
“Unlike their forebears who farmed the same valley for centuries, the younger generation seeks work in distant cities.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “forebears” in context.
Verb
01. descend from forebears
“The clan claims to descend from forebears who arrived from Norway.”
verb + prep + noun
02. forebears endure
“Our forebears endured famine, war and exile to give us a better life.”
noun + verb
03. forebears migrate
“Their forebears migrated across the continent in search of farmland.”
noun + verb
04. forebears settle
“Our forebears settled in this valley more than a thousand years ago.”
noun + verb
05. honour forebears
“The annual festival honours our forebears who founded the village.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. ancient forebears
“These cave paintings were created by our ancient forebears thousands of years ago.”
adj + noun
07. distant forebears
“Our distant forebears survived ice ages with only stone tools and fire.”
adj + noun
08. early forebears
“Our early forebears first settled in this fertile valley over two thousand years ago.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. custom of forebears
“The ceremony preserves a custom of our forebears dating back centuries.”
noun + prep + noun
10. follow in forebears' footsteps
“He became a shipbuilder to follow in his forebears' footsteps.”
11. handed down by forebears
“These folk songs were handed down by our forebears over generations.”
12. honour the memory of forebears
“The memorial was built to honour the memory of our forebears.”
Real-World Examples
“Based on a gothic novella by Henry James, it’s the story of the pacifist Owen Wingrave’s struggles against his military forebears and his fiancee who is ashamed of him.” “Chosen by her father, these colourful tales came to her through old tapes featuring folk tales told in Ainu, the language spoken by her family's Indigenous forebears.” “The forebears of three members of Congress regained – and passed forward – wealth and power their families lost when slavery was abolished.” “The vice-president is believed to be staying in Ayrshire, just north of Galloway, the area he says his forebears left in the 17th Century.” Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/forebears