ascendant vs progenitor

ascendant and progenitor both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ascendant	Yes	Yes	No	No
progenitor	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, progenitor is a hyponym of ascendant; that is, progenitor is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than ascendant:

ascendant: someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
progenitor: an ancestor in the direct line

Other hyponyms of ascendant include ancestress, forbear, forebear, father, forefather, sire, foremother, primogenitor.

ascendant (noun)	progenitor (noun)
someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)	an ancestor in the direct line
position or state of being dominant or in control

ascendant (adjective)	progenitor (adjective)
tending or directed upward
most powerful or important or influential