grandfather

American  

[gran-fah-ther, grand-] / ˈgrænˌfɑ ðər, ˈgrænd- /

noun

• grandfathers
  plural

1. the father of one's father or mother.

2. a forefather.

3. the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence.

   the grandfather of all steam locomotives.

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verb (used with object)

1. to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements.

   The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.

grandfather British  

/ ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə, ˈɡrænd- /

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a male ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man

4. dialect a caterpillar or woodlouse

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grandfathers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of grandfather

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grand-, father

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Explanation

Your grandfather is the father of one of your parents. If your grandfather is quite old and has dozens of grandchildren, it might be hard for him to remember your birthday every year. Everyone has two biological grandfathers, whether they've had the chance to know them or not. In some families, grandmothers and grandfathers are involved in raising and caring for their grandchildren, while in others a grandfather may have died or live very far away. Informally, a grandfather can also be someone who started or invented something: "Blues musician Robert Johnson was the grandfather of rock and roll."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grandfather grandfathers

Born Alan Howard Frieda in London in 1951, his father was a hairdresser who owned a salon in Ealing, west London, while his grandfather had also been a Fleet Street barber.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“My grandfather was my role model growing up,” she wrote on the team’s fundraising page.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Then, in the champions' news conference, he became so emotional at one point as he remembered his late grandfather that he could not talk, and had to take a minute to compose himself.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

I recall as a teenager being puzzled to learn that my grandfather identified as an American first and Chinese second.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

“Well, Princess, you’re obviously in distress,” Jack’s grandfather said, reaching a hand out to help the girl to her feet.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

But for most of my life, they felt like the domain of grandfathers, finance bros and people who knew what vermouth was without having to Google it.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

“We’re asking airmen to strap into jets that their grandfathers, fathers and now they are flying, and it is time for a reset,” said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

"I wanted to remind people of the narrative of our grandmothers, grandfathers and great-grandparents, who throughout my childhood said that war is terrifying," the 28-year-old, who goes by the nickname Noi, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026

Baba is a commonly used term in India to refer to mystics and religious gurus and also to fathers or grandfathers by both Hindus and Muslims.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

It lived in both of my grandfathers, spawned by every goal they’d abandoned and every compromise they’d had to make.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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Related Words

• ancestor
• grandpa
• patriarch

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