grandpa
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does grandpa mean? Grandpa is an informal word for grandfather—the father of a person’s parent. When a father’s child has their own children, that father becomes a grandpa. The word pa is an informal way to say father. Grandpa is often combined with a name, especially when a person has two grandfathers that they call Grandpa, as in Grandpa Carl andGrandpa Frank. Should grandpa be capitalized?Grandpa should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandpa that I miss him. But grandpa does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to him, as in Please tell my grandpa that I miss him. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandpa, as long as you call him.
Etymology
Origin of grandpa
Explanation
Your grandpa is your grandfather; in other words, your grandpa is your mom or dad's dad. Grandpa is the most common name people use for their grandfather, but you might call yours "Gramps." While you may refer to him as your grandfather, you're more likely to call him grandpa. It's an informal, childish nickname, a shortened form of grandpappa, most popular in the 1700s, which spawned grandpappy and grandpop as well. When you are referring to your mom or dad's mother, you can replace the "p" with an "m" and use the word (yes, you guessed it!) grandma.
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.
"You were our little grandpa baby," Boudol wrote in a farewell post on Instagram.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
The grandpa I knew was a very mellowed man, so I got to experience more of the charm side.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
My grandpa retired at 70 after working as a missionary for most of his life and later at a national laboratory.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
I’m not here to be grandpa, but I also hope that we don’t totally lose the ability to interact with real people.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026
Arms crossed, her expression just as smug as when she tricked her grandpa into buying her that expensive bat.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
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.
