grandparent

American  

[gran-pair-uhnt, -par-, grand-] / ˈgrænˌpɛər ənt, -ˌpær-, ˈgrænd- /

noun

1. a parent of a parent.

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grandparent British  

/ ˈɡrænˌpɛərənt, ˈɡrænd- /

noun

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

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Usage

What does grandparent mean? A grandparent is the parent of a person’s parent.When a parent’s child has children, that parent becomes a grandparent. Grandmothers and grandfathers are grandparents.A parent of a grandparent is called a great-grandparent. In your family tree, you have four grandparents and eight great-grandparents.Most people refer to their grandparents with titles like grandma and grandpa.Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandparents, as long as you call them.

Other Word Forms

• grandparental adjective
• grandparenting noun

Etymology

Origin of grandparent

First recorded in 1820–30; grand- + parent

Example Sentences

Gilberg spent a lot of time with his paternal grandparents, who lived nearby with their adult daughter, Belle.

From Los Angeles Times

Now that I am in my 60s and recently became a grandparent, it seems a good time to find out what my own gut tells me about how I will fare in coming decades.

From BBC

That month Riya had traveled with her grandparents to the U.S. to see relatives when she fell seriously ill.

From Los Angeles Times

During a 1987 trip back to Poland, he found that the cemetery where his grandparents were buried had been obliterated by a highway.

From The Wall Street Journal

My parents were divorced, as were both sets of my grandparents and even some great-grandparents.

From Los Angeles Times