grandparent
Americannoun
-
grandparents
plural
noun
Usage
What does grandparent mean? A grandparent is the parent of a person’s parent. When a parent’s child has children, that parent becomes a grandparent. Grandmothers and grandfathers are grandparents. A parent of a grandparent is called a great-grandparent. In your family tree, you have four grandparents and eight great-grandparents. Most people refer to their grandparents with titles like grandma and grandpa. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandparents, as long as you call them.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of grandparent
Explanation
A grandparent is your parent's parent. Your dad's mother is your grandparent, and so is your mom's father. If you're lucky enough to have living grandparents, then that's pretty grand. Most people have a special name for each of their grandparents, whether it's "Grandma," "Grandpa Bob," or "Nana." Others never have the chance to meet their grandparents, but everyone has them. The word grandparent, first used at the start of the nineteenth century, uses grand in its sense of "a generation older than." Your grandparents are a generation older than your parents.
Vocabulary lists containing grandparent
It's All in the Family
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September Words
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Unit 10
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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:
"Some people think that because a parent or grandparent had osteoarthritis, they will develop it too," Cheng said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Plus, fancy water and the benefits of being a grandparent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
He also has a third grandparent from County Cavan.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
A grandparent contributing $5,000 annually from birth to age 18 puts $90,000 into the account, plus the government’s $1,000.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
“That’s fine, young one. Stop on by whenever you want. The drive-in is open seven days a week, thirteen moon cycles a year. But there’s always a legendary grandparent or two around.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
“We’ve seen parents or grandparents use homes as the way to build wealth,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
When I was 5, we’d often visit my grandparents on the weekends.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
King Harald was laid to rest there alongside several members of the royal family, including his father King Olav V, his mother Crown Princess Märtha, and his grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I lived in a duplex with my grandparents and saw them downstairs every morning,” Elsesser says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
My grandparents live fifteen minutes away in Rockville, which is the city right next to us.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
