grandmother
Americannoun
-
the mother of one's father or mother.
-
a female ancestor.
noun
-
the mother of one's father or mother
-
(often plural) a female ancestor
-
(often capital) a familiar term of address for an old woman
-
See egg 1
Usage
What does grandmother mean? A grandmother is the mother of a person’s parent. When a mother’s child has their own children, that mother becomes a grandmother. Less commonly, grandmother can be used in a general way to refer to a female ancestor, as in This would not be possible without the contributions of those who came before us, our many grandmothers. Should grandmother be capitalized?Grandmother should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandmother that I miss her. But grandmother does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my grandmother that I miss her. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandmother, as long as you call her.
Etymology
Origin of grandmother
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grand-, mother 1
Explanation
Your grandmother is your mom or dad's mother. In many traditional cultures, a grandmother lives with her adult child's family and helps raise her grandchildren. Everyone has two biological grandmothers, maternal (your mother's mother) and paternal (your father's mother). If you're lucky, your grandmother is someone you get to know well. One of the most well-known fictional grandmothers appears in "Little Red Riding Hood," the fairy tale in which a wolf disguises himself as Red Riding Hood's grandmother in an attempt to fool her into being eaten.
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.
The details of the event are hazy to Suzanna, who was a baby when her mother was arrested, because Sylvie, her grandmother and primary guardian, won’t discuss it.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Te Arikinui was crowned in 2024 after the death of her father - becoming only the second Māori queen, the first being her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
One of those moments came in writing the track “I Remember,” which recounts his childhood in London spent with his maternal grandmother when his parents were touring.
From Salon • May 15, 2026
Anthony Puzo, who oversees his father's literary estate, said Trigiani was astonished to learn that the character of Vito, the formidable Corleone family patriarch, was inspired by his grandmother.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Bat liked to send emails; he sent emails every month to his grandmother who lived in Idaho, because he hated talking on the phone.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
