grand

Grand– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one generation more remote.” It is typically used in genealogical terms.

Grand– comes from Latin grandis, meaning “great,” “large,” or “full-grown.” The Greek translation of grandis is mégas, meaning “big” or “great.” Mégas is the source of the combining form mega–. To learn more, check out our entry on mega-.

What are variants of grand-?

While not a variant of grand– in this sense exactly, the prefix great– is used to indicate further generations remote, as in great-grandparent, or parent two generations removed.

One example of a common word that features the form grand– is grandmother, “the mother of one’s father or mother.”

The grand– part of the word means “one generation remote.” As you no doubt guessed, –mother means “a female parent.” Grandmother literally means “a female parent one generation remote.”

What are some words that use the combining form grand-?

• granddad
• granddaughter
• grandfather
• grandkid
• grandparent
• grandson

What are some other forms that grand– may be commonly confused with?

• grano-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters grand-, such as grandee or grandeur, is necessarily using the combining form grand– to denote “one generation more remote.” Learn why grandeur means “impressive” at our entry for the word.

The word kid means “a child or young person.” With this in mind, what does grandkid mean?