grandfather

noun
UK: /ˈɡrænfɑːðər/
US: /ˈɡrænfɑːðər/

  1. The father of someone's father or mother.

    1. My grandfather is very old. [ ] [ ]
    2. My grandfather enjoys telling stories about his childhood in the countryside. [ ] [ ]

  2. An early ancestor or founder of a family or group.

    1. He reminds me of my grandfather. [ ] [ ]
    2. The customs of our society are like a grandfather figure that guides our actions. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

forefather ancestor
grandfather transitive-verb

  1. To allow something to continue because it existed before a new rule or law was introduced.

    1. We grandfathered in old rules. [ ] [ ]
    2. The new zoning laws grandfathered in existing businesses so they could remain open. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "grandfather" in English means: The father of someone's father or mother., An early ancestor or founder of a family or group..

The phonetic transcription of "grandfather" is /ˈɡrænfɑːðər/ in British English and /ˈɡrænfɑːðər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "grandfather": forefather, ancestor.

Example usage of "grandfather": "My grandfather is very old.". More examples on the page.