forefather
[noun]
Synonyms: ancestor, father, forebear, forerunner, predecessor

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

fore‧fa‧ther /ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə $ ˈfɔːrˌfɑːðər/ noun [countable usually plural]

1. the people, especially men, who were part of your family a long time ago in the past Synonym : ancestor
sb’s forefathers
What would our forefathers have thought?

2. someone in the past who did something important that influences your life today:
Two hundred years ago our forefathers established this nation.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲