ante-, ant-

1. To move forward in a meaningful way: At the box office at the movies, the people advanced slowly in order to buy their tickets to the show.
2. To present something, such as a proposal: After listening to the others in the meeting, Nancy advanced or suggested interviewing the tenants first before making a final decision.
3. To supply something or part of something, especially money before it is due: Because Stella wanted to buy a very special purse for her outfit, she asked her parents to advance her allowance one month so she could buy it!
4. To rise, or to make or help someone rise, in rank: Floyd had a chance to advance to a better-paid position in his firm, so he filled out the application and gave it to his boss for consideration.
5. To make something happen earlier than originally expected: The Robinsons wanted to advance their dinner party at their home because of the upcoming renovations of their house.
6. Etymology: from Latin abante, "before" which was based on ab-, "from" and ante, "before".

1 A superior or favorable position in relation to someone or something: Henry was hoping to gain an advantage in his negotiations with the company.
2. A circumstance or factor that places a person in a favorable position in relation to another individual or to other people: Janet had an advantage over the other applicants in that she could speak 5 different languages fluently, and so she got the job right off!
3. Etymology: from Old French avant, "before"; from Latin abante, "before".

Pertaining to something that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others: Harriet's work experience put her in an advantageous position to apply for a better paying job.

Descriptive of a manner that has benefit or good results: Mary's children were settled advantageously in a good school.

1. Anyone from whom someone else is directly descended; especially, somebody more distant than a grandparent; such as, grandparents, great-grandparents; great-great-grandparents, etc.: Jennifer told her friends that some of her ancestors lived when George Washington was president of the U.S.
2. An animal or plant from which a species has evolved.
3. A device that was an earlier form of a modern invention or was used as a basis for developing it; such as, an object, idea, style, or occurrence serving as a prototype, forerunner, or inspiration to a later one.
4. A person from whom an heir derives an inheritance.
5. Etymology: from Old French ancestre or Modern French ancêtre which is from Late Latin antecessor, "predecessor"; literally, "foregoer"; from Latin antecessus, past participle of antecedere, "to precede", from ante-, "before" + cedere, "to go, to give way".

1. A reference to an inherited or inheritable by established rules of descent; usually legal rules.
2. Relating to, or belonging to, inherited from an ancestor, or relating to something belonging to former generations of someone's family.

1. A reference to a series of ancestors or progenitors.
2. A lineage, or those who compose the line of natural descent.

A woman from whom a person is descended.

1. The former generations of someone's family.
2. Inherited properties shared with others of a person's bloodline.

1. The quality of being very old or existing from the distant past.
2. Etymology: from Old French ancien, "old"; from Latin anteanus, from ante. "before".

1. Very old because of being on the earth long ago: The professor was doing some research in an ancient geographical area where he found some dinosaur bones.
2. Etymology: via French ancien from Latin anteanus; from ante, "before".

Relating to something that happened in times from long ago: The anciently written inscriptions in the pyramids can still be read now in our modern lives.

Before a meal; usually, abbreviated a.c. in medical prescriptions, etc.