grandfather

1 of 2

noun

grand·​fa·​ther ˈgran(d)-ˌfä-t͟hər How to pronounce grandfather (audio)
1
a
: the father of one's father or mother
2
grandfatherly adjective

grandfather

2 of 2

verb

grandfathered; grandfathering; grandfathers

transitive verb

: to permit to continue under a grandfather clause

Examples of grandfather in a Sentence

Noun this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Friends and relatives filled my grandfather’s hospital room. Pat Kapowich, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 The deeply spiritual and Zen-like Kravitz shared vivid anecdotes about his beloved grandfather, Albert Roker, by way of explaining his own commitment to health and fitness. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Despite the fact that Charles’s grandfather, King George VI, died of lung cancer, there was no mention of it in his death announcement, nor was it made public when it was first detected in the months preceding his passing. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024 Most recently, Eve made a rare appearance alongside her grandfather, Spielberg, on the 2024 Oscars red carpet. Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 That wasn't good enough for the 65-year-old jury foreman, a grandfather of three who grew up with guns in the Upper Peninsula, and works for a residential trash company. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 Rafael Antonio Morales, her grandfather’s cousin, was known to offer a friendly smile and helping hand around town. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Rayne — The Post is identifying her by her first name to protect Nicole’s privacy — had grown up with a sheriff’s deputy for a grandfather. Carolyn Van Houten, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
Most of the confusion over the new restrictions stems from an attempt to grandfather in those who are already receiving care. Casey Parks, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023 Dallas City Council voted not to grandfather any existing STRs, including those already registered with the city. Myah Taylor, Dallas News, 27 June 2023 The approach would effectively grandfather in some sustainable aviation fuel ventures announced in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act. Erik Wasson, Bloomberg.com, 26 Apr. 2023 From Spousal Limited Access Trusts (SLATs) to grantor trusts, everyone with means was looking to add techniques to their estate plan to grandfather into the higher unified credit amount that was created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). Megan Gorman, Forbes, 9 Nov. 2021 The measure would grandfather assault weapons already in legal possession. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023 The measure would grandfather in weapons lawfully possessed on the date of enactment. Dallas News, 15 July 2022 The album lives up to its title, featuring not just the twin rockers – Gunnar and Matthew Nelson – but also holiday tunes recorded by father Ricky Nelson and grandfather Ozzie Nelson. cleveland, 29 Nov. 2022 Fascinated by inventor Nikola Tesla and his innovation of alternating current electricity, Asher Suderow decided to build a Tesla coil himself, and persuaded his dad and grandfather to help. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grandfather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grandfather was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near grandfather

Cite this Entry

“Grandfather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandfather. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grandfather

noun
grand·​fa·​ther
ˈgran(d)-ˌfät͟h-ər
1
: the father of one's father or mother
2

Legal Definition

grandfather

transitive verb
grand·​fa·​ther
: to permit to continue under a grandfather clause
current residents will be grandfathered under the regulation
often used with in

More from Merriam-Webster on grandfather

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!