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What is the difference between ancestor and offspring?

ancestor | offspring | Antonyms |

Offspring is a antonym of ancestor.



In figuratively terms the difference between ancestor and offspring

is that ancestor is one who had the same role or function in former times while offspring is another produce, result of an entity's efforts.

As nouns the difference between ancestor and offspring

is that ancestor is one from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather while offspring is a person's daughter(s) and/or son(s); a person's children.

ancestor

English

Alternative forms

* ancestour (obsolete) * auncestor (obsolete) * auncestour (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.}}
  • An earlier type; a progenitor
  • (legal) One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir.
  • (figuratively) One who had the same role or function in former times.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Saj Chowdhury, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Wolverhampton 1-2 Newcastle , passage=The Magpies are unbeaten and enjoying their best run since 1994, although few would have thought the class of 2011 would come close to emulating their ancestors .}}

    Usage notes

    * There is a rare feminine form ancestress

    Derived terms

    * cenancestor

    Antonyms

    * descendant

    Anagrams

    *

    offspring

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A person's daughter(s) and/or son(s); a person's children.
  • All a person's descendants, including further generations.
  • An animal or plant's progeny, an animal or plant's young.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
    • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.}}
  • (figuratively) Another produce, result of an entity's efforts.
  • (computing) A process launched by another process.

    • Usage notes

    * The form offsprings is also used for the plural, especially the computing sense.

    Synonyms

    * baby/babies, child/children, issue (plural only), get * (all descendants) descendants, lineage, progeny, get, binary clone

    Antonyms

    * genitor (rare), parent, progenitor, father (male), mother (female) * (descendants) ancestors, forbears/forebears, forefathers

    Derived terms

    * donor offspring * parent-offspring conflict