great-grandfather

American  

[greyt-gran-fah-ther, -grand-] / ˌgreɪtˈgrænˌfɑ ðər, -ˈgrænd- /

noun

1. a grandfather of one's father or mother.

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Usage

What does great-grandfather mean? A great-grandfather is the father of a person’s grandparent (the grandfather of a person’s parent).When a father’s child has their own children, that father becomes a grandfather. When those children have their own children, he becomes a great-grandfather.Should great-grandfather be capitalized?Great-grandfather should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Great-grandfather that I miss him. But great-grandfather does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to him, as in Please tell my great-grandfather that I miss him. Example: My kids were lucky enough to get to know three of their great-grandfathers.

Etymology

Origin of great-grandfather

First recorded in 1505–15

Example Sentences

A paper trail to a Chickasaw great-grandfather none of them had ever known was a path into a past she’d spent her whole life escaping.

From Literature

Lessard grew up at what she knew as the Place, a magnificent Long Island estate designed by her great-grandfather, the Beaux-Arts architect Stanford White: “The harmony and symmetry,” she writes, “created an atmosphere of providential protection.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Their culturally omnivorous oldest son, Bernard, was the author’s great-grandfather.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 1936, William and Harry’s great-grandfather George VI came to the throne after what threatened to be an existential crisis for the British crown.

From The Wall Street Journal

One person who has witnessed NWT's growth first hand is assistant warden Bernard Bishop, who is following in his great-grandfather and father's footsteps.

From BBC