Dictionary

progenitor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.tɚ/ (US)
• /pɹəʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹoʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tɚ/ (US)
• /pɹəˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.tə/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English progenitour, from Anglo-Norman progenitour, Middle French progeniteur (Modern French progéniteur), and their etymon Latin prōgenitor, from prōgenitus, perfect participle of prōgignere (“to beget”), itself from prō- (“forth”) + gignere (“to beget”). By surface analysis, pro- (“prior, fore-”) + genitor.

Meanings

1. A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
2. A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.
   • Abraham, alias Ibrahim, is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.
3. An ancestral form of a species.
4. (figuratively) A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model.
   • ARPANET was the progenitor of the Internet.
   • Are neural progenitor cells infected by Zika virus?
   • From its inception, the index has provided a window onto the history of the book, for it took the advent of a particular type of book — the codex, a sheaf of pages fastened along one edge — to make an index a practical possibility. The progenitor of the modern bound book, the codex gradually supplanted the scroll, a medium inimical to the indexer’s art. 2022 February 15, Margalit Fox, “Look It Up? Only if You’re Dishonest and Ignorant”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2022:
5. (figuratively) Someone who originates something.
6. A founder.

Forms

Coordinates

foremother · progenitrix

Deriveds

osteoprogenitor · neuroprogenitor · progenitorship · progenitress · progenitor cell · chondroprogenitor · myoprogenitor · legendary progenitor · oligoprogenitor · progenitorial

Relateds

progenitive · progeny

Synonyms

forefather · ancestor

Translations (106)

ro strămoș (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Stammvater (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · sh оснивач (someone who originates something) · ga sinsear (an ancestral form of a species) · bg предше́ственик (a predecessor of something) · cs zakladatel (someone who originates something) · ca progenitor (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ceb giliwatan (any of a person's direct ancestors) · el πρόγονος (an ancestral form of a species) · el πατριάρχης (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ru пре́док (any of a person's direct ancestors) · hi पुरखा (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · pl pomysłodawca (someone who originates something) · sh претеча (a predecessor of something) · pt progenitor (a predecessor of something) · hi पूर्वज (a predecessor of something) · nl voorloper (a predecessor of something) · pl przodek (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ro strămoașă (any of a person's direct ancestors) · tr ata (an ancestral form of a species) · tr üretici (someone who originates something) · el πρόγονος (a predecessor of something) · fi kantaisä (any of a person's direct ancestors) · el γεννήτορας (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ga sinsear (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Ahn (any of a person's direct ancestors) · gd gineadair (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Erzeugerin (someone who originates something) · gd neach-stèidheachaidh (someone who originates something) · cs předek (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Vorfahre (any of a person's direct ancestors) · bg прародител (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · cs předchůdce (a predecessor of something) · nb stamfar (any of a person's direct ancestors) · bg предшественик (any of a person's direct ancestors) · kk ата-баба (any of a person's direct ancestors) · bg основател (someone who originates something) · cs praotec (any of a person's direct ancestors) · es progenitor (any of a person's direct ancestors) · la prōgenitor (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Vorfahr (an ancestral form of a species) · da stifter (someone who originates something) · tr cet (an ancestral form of a species) · de Vorläufer (a predecessor of something) · tr cet (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ro precursor (a predecessor of something) · ru созда́тель (someone who originates something) · de Vorfahr (any of a person's direct ancestors) · nl stichter (someone who originates something) · da forfader (any of a person's direct ancestors) · nl stamvorm (an ancestral form of a species) · nl grondlegger (someone who originates something) · nl stamvader (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · crh ecdat (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ceb giliwatan (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · fi esi-isä (any of a person's direct ancestors) · kk арғы ата (any of a person's direct ancestors) · hi जन्मदाता (someone who originates something) · gd ro-theachdaire (a predecessor of something) · hi जनक (someone who originates something) · ar سَلَف (any of a person's direct ancestors) · pl prekursor (someone who originates something) · pt progenitor (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ro străbună (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Vorfahre (an ancestral form of a species) · ro străbun (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ru прароди́тель (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Urahn (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · tr öncü (a predecessor of something) · nl voorafbeelding (a predecessor of something) · el γεννήτορας (someone who originates something) · da grundlægger (someone who originates something) · tr cet (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ru предше́ственник (a predecessor of something) · mi uretū (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · pl poprzednik (a predecessor of something) · hi पूर्वज (any of a person's direct ancestors) · el πρόγονος (any of a person's direct ancestors) · nl voorouder (any of a person's direct ancestors) · de Erzeuger (someone who originates something) · pt progenitor (any of a person's direct ancestors) · fi isä (someone who originates something) · bg предшественик (an ancestral form of a species) · sh прародитељ (any of a person's direct ancestors) · nn stamfar (any of a person's direct ancestors) · el πρόγονος (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ga sinsear (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · sh творац (someone who originates something) · nl voorvader (any of a person's direct ancestors) · cmn 祖先 (any of a person's direct ancestors) · cmn 先祖 (any of a person's direct ancestors) · grc πρόγονος (any of a person's direct ancestors) · mi tipuna (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ru предте́ча (a predecessor of something) · ro predecesor (a predecessor of something) · grc πρόγονος (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · de Vorfahre (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · da stamfader (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · de Vorfahr (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · nl patriarch (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · mi uretū (any of a person's direct ancestors) · tr ata (any of a person's direct ancestors) · ca progenitora (any of a person's direct ancestors) · tr dede (an individual from which (a) people(s) descend) · ru основа́тель (someone who originates something) · fi edeltäjä (a predecessor of something)