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
Like Kerr, Banas had a family member who, before his death, experienced visions — a grandfather who imagined himself in a train station with his brothers. Phoebe Zerwick, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The community is mourning the loss of the talented teen who was about to begin a new, exciting chapter of his life, his grandfather and guardian told KHOU. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Her Latina and Palestinian heritage inspired the album, which includes a song alongside her grandfather, a Zajal singer and poet. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Research shows that white men now are even more likely than their grandfathers to be in management despite a diversifying workforce and a growing number of research studies that suggest diverse companies are more likely to outperform those with more homogenous workforces. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Many of these were passed down from his grandfather. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 Simpson also helped restore the west Coconut Grove home of his wife’s grandfather, real estate pioneer E.W.F. Stirrup, which is now being rented for lodging and events. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 This reverence stemmed from ancestral pride; Mencken’s paternal grandfather came from Saxony. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024 That generation’s values and his moral framework felt familiar to me in relation to my grandfather. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 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 19 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

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