Spanish word

antepasado

Pronunciation

IPA/antepaˈsaðo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounancestor

Example

Mis antepasados proceden de otra región.

My ancestors come from another region.

Illustration for antepasado (ancestor)

More examples

Conozco el nombre de mi antepasado directo.

I know the name of my direct ancestor.

Core concept

A faded sepia portrait on an upper branch of a family tree.

Common phrases

  • antepasado directo

    direct ancestor

  • antepasado lejano

    distant ancestor

  • antepasado paterno

    paternal ancestor

Similar words

ascendiente: Close blood forebear in the direct line, such as a parent or grandparent.
antecesor: A person who lived earlier in the same family line and is related by blood.
ancestro: A distant blood ancestor who lived long ago, several generations back.

Definition in Spanish

Persona que vivió en una generación anterior a la propia y pertenece a la familia por línea de sangre.

Word origin

From Latin ante 'before' plus Spanish pasado, the past participle of pasar, originally meaning 'one who lived earlier' and now naming a blood relative from an earlier generation.

Usage tips

  • Used especially in the plural to talk about family origins and restricted to blood-line relatives rather than office predecessors, who are called antecesor or predecesor.

Opposites

Word lists with this word