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:
Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, 69, a grandfather from India who struggles with English, said he didn’t understand he was registering to vote when he checked a box on his Texas driver’s license application two years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
St Patrick's pupil Ailicia, 17, recently lost her grandfather.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Netflix’s Cathy-centered take on “East of Eden” comes before us at a very different time than the one in which Zoe Kazan’s grandfather Elia introduced his acclaimed 1955 film.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Clinkunbroomer had served eight years in the Sheriff’s Department at the time of his death — following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
He thought of what his grandfather would say when he returned to find both boy and griffin gone; of his confusion and anger.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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
"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
Who have to settle for jobs they feel are worse than what they or their fathers or grandfathers had—if they find work at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
Late in the evening, Marie-Laure descends the ladder and falls asleep in her grandfathers bed to the sound of her great-uncle working above her.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
