Forebears are those who came before us, and can refer to a variety of people. Antecedents are the predecessors of a person or thing, and can refer to a wide range of people, including family members, political figures, and more. ELDERS are typically older members of a family or community, and can refer to both living and deceased individuals. ANCESTORS are the direct line of family members that have come before us, and can refer to both living and deceased individuals. Together, these three terms can be used to refer to the collective group of people who have come before us.