祖先|そせんsosen[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounancestor
   私わたしたちは祖先そせんをうやまうべきだ。↗

   We should worship our ancestors.

• Synonym祖そNeutralMeans your own parents, not generations further back; can also mean a founder. 「祖」 is just another way of writing it.
• Synonym先祖せんぞNeutralThe ancestors of one's own family or line, as in 「先祖代々」; more family-centered, while 「祖先」 sounds more academic.
• SynonymルーツNeutralLoanword for one's roots or origins, as in 「日本人のルーツ」; points to where you come from rather than the ancestors themselves.
• Synonym先人せんじんNeutralPeople of the past valued for their deeds — predecessors and pioneers; 「祖先」 stresses blood ties instead.
• Synonym先つ祖さきつおやWrittenArchaic word for an ancestor with an old-fashioned literary flavor; in modern usage say 「祖先」 or 「先祖」.
• Synonym御祖みおやWrittenArchaic and respectful, for a family member of an earlier generation, especially one's mother or grandmother; 「祖先」 is general and never singles them out.
• Antonym子孫しそんNeutralThe opposite of 「祖先」: one's descendants — children, grandchildren and the generations that follow.
• Antonym末裔まつえいWrittenAlso means descendant, the opposite of 「祖先」, but is a written, formal word for distant successors of a family or line.

Use 「祖先」 for the ancestors of a family, people or species, as in 「人類の祖先」. For one's own family line say 「先祖」, for earlier generations and their deeds 「先人」, for one's roots 「ルーツ」. For descendants, the opposite, use 「子孫」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. ある生物せいぶつの個体こたいの、既すでに亡なくなった数すう世代せだい以前いぜんの血縁けつえん者しゃ全般ぜんぱんのこと。
2. （生物学せいぶつがく）進化しんか分類学ぶんるいがくにおいて、ある生物せいぶつ種しゅの進化しんか前まえの段階だんかい。