grandfather
Americannoun
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the father of one's father or mother
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(often plural) a male ancestor
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(often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man
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dialect a caterpillar or woodlouse
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of grandfather
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grand-, father
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I dedicate these nominations to my grandfather, who first introduced me to music — making him proud means everything.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The moves—which are used routinely by others—were tied to GRATs that included shares of HCA Healthcare, a major operator of hospitals that Trisha’s father and grandfather helped co-found in 1968.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
At this year's 9th Party Congress of the Korean Workers' Party, Kim Jong Un was emboldened and spoke of accomplishments that his grandfather Kim Il Sung and father Kim Jong Il never achieved.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Logan Miller, 32, lost his uncle during the attacks, and his grandfather to 9/11-related illness in the aftermath.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
‘My grandfather once got close to the Mountain,’ he’d explained when Torak had woken him in the night.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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
Both of his grandfathers were small-business owners, and he spent his summers working for them as a landscaper and helping out with carpentry work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 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
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
