fore ‧ fa ‧ ther /ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə $ ˈfɔːrˌfɑːðər/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually plural]
1 . the people, especially men, who were part of your family a long time ago in the past SYN 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.