grandfather
1 of 2noun
grand·fa·ther ˈgran(d)-ˌfä-t͟hər 
1
a
: the father of one's father or mother
b
: ancestor sense 1a
2
: granddaddy sense 2
grandfatherly
ˈgran(d)-ˌfä-t͟hər-lē
adjective grandfather
2 of 2verb
grandfathered; grandfathering; grandfathers
transitive verb
: to permit to continue under a grandfather clause
Synonyms
Noun
- ancestor
- father
- forebear
- forbear
- forebearer
- forefather
- primogenitor
- progenitor
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers
Recent Examples on the Web
Concetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2022 While at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for family holidays and official events, the Queen would proudly wear the Balmoral tartan designed by Prince Albert, her great-great grandfather. Caryn Franklin, CNN, 9 Sep. 2022 One resident opposed to relaxing the alcohol ban appealed to Kenney’s heritage, suggesting that her great-great grandfather would be ashamed to see her in favor of liquor sales. Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 For centuries, his ancestors had ruled over a powerful kingdom in what is now Benin, but the first time Euloge Ahanhanzo Glèlè saw the throne of his great-great-great grandfather was in a Paris museum a decade ago. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2022 His great-great-great grandfather, along with other members of the mountain Sierra Miwok, fled north into the headwaters of the Yuba River. Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2022 Hammer's oil tycoon family has been the subject of immense controversy over the years, beginning with his great grandfather Armand Hammer. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2022 The program was named after Ohiyesa, also known as Dr. Charles Eastman, the first Native American man to become a physician in the U.S. and Lopez-Carmen's great grandfather. Amanda Su, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2022 The photographs taken by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878 are known as The Horse in Motion, and Emerald claims that the horse rider is her and OJ's great-great-great grandfather. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 July 2022 Nathan Jensen, Chron, 8 Aug. 2022 But all of this can be avoided if Democrats instead simply grandfather in existing enrollees and leave it at that. Brian Blase, WSJ, 28 July 2022 There was perhaps little question that Mr. Abe would eventually follow his father and grandfather into politics. New York Times, 8 July 2022 The proposal would grandfather in current public school and state employees for health insurance coverage as retirees, according to Hickey. Rachel Herzog, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2022 This rule appears to grandfather the Nike Next% shoe that Bridgid Kosgei wore to her world-record 2:14:04 in the Chicago Marathon last fall. Amby Burfoot, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2020 The act would grandfather foreign investors from loss of their funds by virtue of retroactive effect of EB-5 developments and create a safety net to protect them. Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 8 Nov. 2021 The former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback - father to Peyton and Eli Manning, and grandfather to highly recruited Arch - has been on a whirlwind tour of celebrating his sons’ contributions to the game. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 19 Oct. 2021 All of those features will not be possible with respect to trusts that are formed or to the extent funded after the date of enactment, but the legislation would grandfather trusts, to the extent funded, up through the date of enactment. Alan Gassman, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021 See More
Noun
My great grandfather was an immigrant who worked in the sewers. Concetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2022 While at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for family holidays and official events, the Queen would proudly wear the Balmoral tartan designed by Prince Albert, her great-great grandfather. Caryn Franklin, CNN, 9 Sep. 2022 One resident opposed to relaxing the alcohol ban appealed to Kenney’s heritage, suggesting that her great-great grandfather would be ashamed to see her in favor of liquor sales. Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 For centuries, his ancestors had ruled over a powerful kingdom in what is now Benin, but the first time Euloge Ahanhanzo Glèlè saw the throne of his great-great-great grandfather was in a Paris museum a decade ago. New York Times, 21 Aug. 2022 His great-great-great grandfather, along with other members of the mountain Sierra Miwok, fled north into the headwaters of the Yuba River. Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2022 Hammer's oil tycoon family has been the subject of immense controversy over the years, beginning with his great grandfather Armand Hammer. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2022 The program was named after Ohiyesa, also known as Dr. Charles Eastman, the first Native American man to become a physician in the U.S. and Lopez-Carmen's great grandfather. Amanda Su, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2022 The photographs taken by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878 are known as The Horse in Motion, and Emerald claims that the horse rider is her and OJ's great-great-great grandfather. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 July 2022 Verb
The program wasn’t renewed, but companies that applied for the incentive by Aug. 1, 2022, could grandfather in their investments for 10 years of tax benefits. Nathan Jensen, Chron, 8 Aug. 2022 But all of this can be avoided if Democrats instead simply grandfather in existing enrollees and leave it at that. Brian Blase, WSJ, 28 July 2022 There was perhaps little question that Mr. Abe would eventually follow his father and grandfather into politics. New York Times, 8 July 2022 The proposal would grandfather in current public school and state employees for health insurance coverage as retirees, according to Hickey. Rachel Herzog, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2022 This rule appears to grandfather the Nike Next% shoe that Bridgid Kosgei wore to her world-record 2:14:04 in the Chicago Marathon last fall. Amby Burfoot, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2020 The act would grandfather foreign investors from loss of their funds by virtue of retroactive effect of EB-5 developments and create a safety net to protect them. Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 8 Nov. 2021 The former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback - father to Peyton and Eli Manning, and grandfather to highly recruited Arch - has been on a whirlwind tour of celebrating his sons’ contributions to the game. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 19 Oct. 2021 All of those features will not be possible with respect to trusts that are formed or to the extent funded after the date of enactment, but the legislation would grandfather trusts, to the extent funded, up through the date of enactment. Alan Gassman, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1953, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing grandfather
Kids Definition
grandfather
noun
grand·fa·ther ˈgrand-ˌfä-t͟hər
ˈgran-
1
: the father of someone's father or mother
2
: ancestor His grandfathers had all farmed the land.
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 grandfather
noun
as in father
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- father
- ancestor
- grandmother
- forefather
- forebear
- progenitor
- forbear
- primogenitor
- forebearer
- patriarch
- predecessor
- ancestry
- matriarch
- ancestress
- grandsire
- antecessor
- foremother
- antecedents
- sire
- roots
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- descendant
- family
- children
- son
- daughter
- descendent
- offspring
- lineage
- issue
- stock
- seed
- progeny
- posterity
- heir
- successor
- inheritor
- scion