grandchild

American  

[gran-chahyld] / ˈgrænˌtʃaɪld /

noun

plural

grandchildren

1. a child of one's son or daughter.

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grandchild British  

/ ˈɡrænˌtʃaɪld /

noun

1. the son or daughter of one's child

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Etymology

Origin of grandchild

First recorded in 1580–90; grand- + child

Explanation

If you have a grandparent, you are a grandchild. You are the grandchild of your mother’s and father’s parents. If you have a grandchild, your son or daughter had a baby. Congratulations. A person becomes a grandparent when their kid has their first baby, and that baby is the grandparent’s grandchild. Boys are often called "grandsons," and girls "granddaughters," but both are also grandchildren. Grandchild uses the family or genealogical sense of the prefix grand-, which first meant "a generation older than," and since Elizabethan times has also meant "a generation younger than."

Example Sentences

“My parents won’t be at my wedding, they won’t get to hold their future grandchild, and they won’t get to see me have the successful career I’m still seeking,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

The result is that part or all of the inheritance passes to someone else, often a child or grandchild.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The court heard the couple had been together for 34 years and had three children, as well as an 18-month-old grandchild they were in contact with.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Consider what your finances would look like if you continue working versus if you stop early to watch your grandchild.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

It was too late to mother her daughter, and too late to be a good daughter to her mother, but she could make amends via her grandchild.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith