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Forebear (also spelled, less commonly, as forbear) was first used by our ancestors in the days of Middle English. Fore- means "coming before," just as in forefather, and -bear means "one that is." This -bear is not to be confused with the -bear in the unrelated verb forbear, which comes from Old English beran, meaning "to bear or carry." The -bear in the noun forebear is a combination of be-, from the verb be (or, more specifically, from been, an old dialect variant of be), and -ar, a form of the suffix -er, which we append to verbs to denote one that performs a specified action. In this case the "action" is simply existing or being—in other words, -bear implies one who is a "be-er."
Examples of forebear in a Sentence
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
The length and rhythm of the rally would have been familiar to her Alabama‑ and Tennessee‑born forebears, since camp meetings had been conducted the same way for over a century.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Two hundred fifty years ago our political forebears softened their biases and brought forth something new and remarkable.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Medical science has blessed our generation with an abundance of preventive methods — including vaccines — and treatments that enable a far greater percentage of us to live longer and healthier lives than our forebears.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forebear. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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