grandfather

American  

[gran-fah-ther, grand-] / ˈgrænˌfɑ ðər, ˈgrænd- /

noun

• grandfathers
  plural

1. the father of one's father or mother.

2. a forefather.

3. the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence.

   the grandfather of all steam locomotives.

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verb (used with object)

1. to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements.

   The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.

grandfather British  

/ ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə, ˈɡrænd- /

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a male ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man

4. dialect a caterpillar or woodlouse

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grandfathers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of grandfather

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grand-, father

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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

See Examples For:

grandfather grandfathers

It was the third home she’d owned; she bought her first at 20, thanks to subprime mortgages and help from her grandfather.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

“It sounds touchy-feely, but it’s profitable,” said the 55-year-old Gund, whose grandfather, Ed Gund, a former candy salesman, started the composite materials company in 1951.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Early in the 20th century, Franzoy’s great grandfather arrived from Italy, cleared the desert land and planted chilies, onions and potatoes, nurturing the plants with water from the Rio Grande.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

This one came at a difficult time for Boulter, whose grandfather, Brian, died last week.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

But the cry his grandfather gave—huge from such an old man—when he saw him, standing, soaking wet and scarred and smiling: that was worth hearing.

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

Baba is a commonly used term in India to refer to mystics and religious gurus and also to fathers or grandfathers by both Hindus and Muslims.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

There were things of his grandfathers, too, lights and jars and nets, all to do with the moth collecting.

From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill

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Related Words

• ancestor
• grandpa
• patriarch

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