In this excerpt from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, the word “forebears” most likely means _____.

Answer:

In President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, the term “forebears” likely refers to ancestors.

Explanation:

Kennedy uses "forebears" in his speech to denote the ancestors, the individuals who preceded him and held significance for the nation.

He emphasizes that he repeats the same oath before the people and God, similar to those taken by his forebears, which underscores the historical importance of his address.

Kennedy notes that even after many years since the original oath was made, humanity continues to challenge the revolutionary ideals that the ancestors debated.