grandparent

[ gran-pair-uhnt, -par-, grand- ]

noun

1. a parent of a parent.

grandparent

/ ˈɡrænˌpɛərənt; ˈɡrænd- /

noun

1. the father or mother of either of one's parents

Other Words From

• grand·pa·ren·tal [gran-p, uh, -, ren, -tl, grand-], adjective
• grandparent·ing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandparent¹

First recorded in 1820–30; grand- + parent

Example Sentences

This sense of isolation only increased after both his grandparents died within a short space of time.

From BBC

FBI agents raided his grandparents’ Boyle Heights home, where he lived, in 2018.

From Los Angeles Times

He recalls his parents and grandparents talking about how former Republican President Reagan “loved Hispanics.”

From Los Angeles Times

As it stands right now, watching "Here" is the equivalent of watching your grandparents tell you about how good it was “back in the day” and refusing to hear that actually, it wasn’t.

From Salon

Amparo is now staying with her grandparents because she is too afraid to return because of looters.

From BBC

More About Grandparent

What does grandparent mean?

A grandparent is the parent of a person’s parent.

When a parent’s child has children, that parent becomes a grandparent. Grandmothers and grandfathers are grandparents.

A parent of a grandparent is called a great-grandparent. In your family tree, you have four grandparents and eight great-grandparents.

Most people refer to their grandparents with titles like grandma and grandpa.

Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandparents, as long as you call them.

Where does grandparent come from?

The first records of the word grandparent come from the 1800. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild. The prefix great- indicates yet another generation, as in great-grandparent.

Grandparents often have special bonds with their grandchildren, who they’re known to brag about and to spoil with love, affection, and candy. It’s common for grandchildren to refer to their grandparents with informal names. Terms like grandma and grandpa are popular, but many families have their own unique names. In the U.S., National Grandparents Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to grandparent?

• grandparental (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with grandparent? 

• great-grandmother
• great-grandfather
• great-grandparent
• parent
• godparent
• stepparent

What are some words that often get used in discussing grandparent?

• grandchildren
• love
• kindness
• spoil
• special
• care
• family
• matriarch

How is grandparent used in real life?

Grandparent is used as a way to refer to the parents of one’s parents, but it’s not used as a title like other words, such as grandma and grandpa.

"You don’t become older when you become a grandparent — you become younger." — @LesleyRStahl on #BecomingGrandma pic.twitter.com/dc7CUSK9a4

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) April 5, 2016

My grandparents are my everything ❤️

— De'arra Taylor (@dearra) July 31, 2020

What do y’all call your grandparents? I have some funky names for mine so i always think it’s interesting to see what other people say

— ⭕️ 🐇💦 (@bundeviant) August 1, 2020

 

 

Try using grandparent!

Is grandparent used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m a grandparent of two and a parent of five, so I know a thing or two about temper tantrums.