forebear

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfɔːrbɛər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈfɔrˌbɛr/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(fôr′bâr′, fōr′-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
fore•bear or for•bear /ˈfɔrˌbɛr/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. ancestor;
    forefather.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fore•bear  (fôr′bâr′, fōr′-),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Usually, forebears. ancestors;
    forefathers.
Also, forbear. 
  • 1425–75; Middle English (Scots), equivalent. to fore- fore- + -bear being, variant of beer; see be, -er1

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
forebear, forbear /ˈfɔːˌbɛə/ n
  1. an ancestor; forefather
'forebear' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
forbear - ancestor - ascendant - forefather - forerunner
Synonyms: ancestor, more...

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