grand

¹

[grand]

adjective

grander, grandest 

1. impressive in size, appearance, or general effect.

   grand mountain scenery.

   Antonyms: insignificant

2. stately, majestic, or dignified.

   In front of an audience her manner is grand and regal.

   Synonyms: exalted, royal, regal, princely
   Antonyms: unassuming, modest

3. highly ambitious or idealistic.

   grand ideas for bettering the political situation.

   Antonyms: mean, small

4. magnificent or splendid.

   a grand palace.

   Synonyms: superb, brilliant, palatial, large, great

5. noble or revered.

   a grand old man.

6. highest, or very high, in rank or official dignity.

   a grand potentate.

7. main or principal; chief.

   the grand ballroom.

   Antonyms: minor

8. of great importance, distinction, or pretension.

   a man used to entertaining grand personages.

9. complete or comprehensive.

   a grand total.

   Synonyms: inclusive

10. pretending to grandeur, as a result of minor success, good fortune, etc.; conceited.

    Jane is awfully grand since she got promoted.

11. first-rate; very good; splendid.

    to have a grand time; to feel grand.

12. Music.,  written on a large scale or for a large ensemble.

    a grand fugue.

noun

plural

grands, grand 

1. grand piano.

2. Informal.,  an amount equal to a thousand dollars.

   The cops found most of the loot, but they're still missing about five grand.

grand-

²

1. a combining form used in genealogical terminology meaning “one generation more remote”.

   grandfather; grandnephew.

grand

¹

/ ɡrænd /

adjective

1. large or impressive in size, extent, or consequence

   grand mountain scenery

2. characterized by or attended with magnificence or display; sumptuous

   a grand feast

3. of great distinction or pretension; dignified or haughty

4. designed to impress

   he punctuated his story with grand gestures

5. very good; wonderful

6. comprehensive; complete

   a grand total

7. worthy of respect; fine

   a grand old man

8. large or impressive in conception or execution

   grand ideas

9. most important; chief

   the grand arena

noun

1. short for grand piano

2. slang,  a thousand pounds or dollars

grand-

²

prefix

1. (in designations of kinship) one generation removed in ascent or descent

   grandson

   grandfather

Other Word Forms

• grandly adverb
• grandness noun
• ungrand adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1920–25 grand for def. 14; Middle English gra(u)nd, gra(u)nt, from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis “great, large, full-grown”

Origin of grand²

Special use of grand

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand¹

C16: from Old French, from Latin grandis

Origin of grand²

from French grand-, on the model of Latin magnus in such phrases as avunculus magnus great-uncle

Example Sentences

Another, less grand perhaps, is the closeness of a community like Fairfax, where people volunteer their time to keep their facility open, while serial fraudsters are indicted for pillaging hospitals and overbilling the government.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Renovation work on the museum, which is housed in a grand Victorian dock office building, started in 2021 as part of a £27.5m project to highlight the city's maritime heritage.

Read more on BBC

Young adulthood can be a slog, but when they look back on this time, they should receive the grand reward of feeling proud of what they have accomplished professionally and financially.

Read more on MarketWatch

Having borrowed money to buy and renovate a grand home, George and Hedda throw a big party in hopes of impressing his prospective new employers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He said a debate on energy transition had never happened on a grand scale.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ambitious 
• awe-inspiring 
• dignified 
• glorious 
• grandiose 
• imposing 
• large 
• lofty 
• luxurious 
• magnificent 
• marvelous 
• monumental 
• noble 
• opulent 
• palatial 
• splendid 
• stately 
• sumptuous 

When To Use

What does grand- mean?

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.