great-grandfather

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.

The first records of the word great-grandfather come from the 1500s. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild. The prefix great- indicates yet another generation.

Another great- can be added for each generation. For example, your great-great-grandfather is the father of your great-grandfather. Most people refer to their great-grandfathers with titles like great-grandpa and great-grandpop, sometimes in combination with a name, as in Great-Grandpa Frank.

What are some synonyms for great-grandfather?

• great-grandpa

What are some words that share a root or word element with great-grandfather? 

• great-grandmother
• great-grandparent
• grandfather
• father

What are some words that often get used in discussing great-grandfather?

• great-grandchildren
• love
• kindness
• spoil
• special
• care
• family
• patriarch
• matriarch
• ancestor

Great-grandfather can be used as a title, but many families use their own unique names. Still, the title that grandchildren use for their grandfather often stays the same even after he becomes a great-grandfather.

I'm trying to figure out how to refer to this vehicle driven by my great-great grandfather. Anyone know if it's more properly described as a wagon or carriage? Photo dates to approximately 1915, probably Dallas area. (Poor hungry horse!) pic.twitter.com/RJeR5jb14C

— Maud Newton (@maudnewton) August 3, 2020

My great aunt found this love letter written in 1936 from my great grandfather to my great grandmother and i – pic.twitter.com/F07vuBXOqJ

— Chelsea Stahl (@chelseastahl) July 26, 2020

Raise your hand if you have a father, grandfather or great-grandfather who was fighting Nazis! They were #Antifa! Anti-Fascist fighters.

— Edan Clay 🇺🇸 (@EdanClay) July 27, 2020

Is great-grandfather used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m a great-grandfather of 18, a grandfather of 12, and a father of four, so I know a thing or two about temper tantrums.