great-grandfather
Americannoun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Near the Turin ring road, at a glass and steel structure, I speak to Giuseppe Lavazza, whose great-grandfather launched the Lavazza coffee brand 131 years ago.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Honoring her great-grandfather Cole Grove with the canary metaphor of the former, both songs celebrate personal salvation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
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 • Mar. 8, 2026
One sailor missed the death of his great-grandfather.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
“Then your great-grandfather fought for the Union, I surmise.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
