great-grandparent
Americannoun
Usage
What does great-grandparent mean? A great-grandparent is the parent of a person’s grandparent (the grandparent of a person’s parent). When a parent’s child has children, that parent becomes a grandparent. When those children have children, the grandparent becomes a great-grandparent. Great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers are great-grandparents. In your family tree, you have four grandparents and eight great-grandparents. Example: My kids were lucky enough to get to know three of their great-grandparents.
Etymology
Origin of great-grandparent
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
The kind of people who have the time and the desire to wage a culture war on schools tend to be more of the grandparent or even great-grandparent age.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2023
In addition to his brother, Jackson is survived by his parents, grandparents, a great-grandparent and several aunts and uncles, among other loved ones.
From Fox News • Dec. 2, 2021
You just do it by comparing DNA instead of last names or a common great-grandparent.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2021
Both are grandparents and Trevor is a great-grandparent.
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2020
“My grandparent, too. My great-grandparent were less even than that.”
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
