grand

¹

[ grand ]

adjective

, grand·er, grand·est.

1. impressive in size, appearance, or general effect:

   grand mountain scenery.

   Antonyms: insignificant

2. stately, majestic, or dignified:

   In front of an audience her manner is grand and regal.

   Synonyms: exalted, royal, regal, princely

   Antonyms: unassuming, modest

3. highly ambitious or idealistic:

   grand ideas for bettering the political situation.

   Antonyms: mean, small

4. magnificent or splendid:

   a grand palace.

   Synonyms: superb, brilliant, palatial, large, great

5. noble or revered:

   a grand old man.

6. highest, or very high, in rank or official dignity:

   a grand potentate.

7. main or principal; chief:

   the grand ballroom.

   Antonyms: minor

8. of great importance, distinction, or pretension:

   a man used to entertaining grand personages.

9. complete or comprehensive:

   a grand total.

   Synonyms: inclusive

10. pretending to grandeur, as a result of minor success, good fortune, etc.; conceited:

    Jane is awfully grand since she got promoted.

11. first-rate; very good; splendid:

    to have a grand time; to feel grand.

12. Music. written on a large scale or for a large ensemble:

    a grand fugue.

noun

, plural grands grand

1. grand piano.
2. Informal. an amount equal to a thousand dollars:

   The cops found most of the loot, but they're still missing about five grand.

grand-

²

1. a combining form used in genealogical terminology meaning “one generation more remote”:

   grandfather; grandnephew.

grand

¹

/ ɡrænd /

adjective

1. large or impressive in size, extent, or consequence

   grand mountain scenery

2. characterized by or attended with magnificence or display; sumptuous

   a grand feast

3. of great distinction or pretension; dignified or haughty
4. designed to impress

   he punctuated his story with grand gestures

5. very good; wonderful
6. comprehensive; complete

   a grand total

7. worthy of respect; fine

   a grand old man

8. large or impressive in conception or execution

   grand ideas

9. most important; chief

   the grand arena

noun

1. short for grand piano
2. slang.
   grand a thousand pounds or dollars

grand-

²

prefix

1. (in designations of kinship) one generation removed in ascent or descent

   grandson

   grandfather

Derived Forms

• ˈgrandness, noun
• ˈgrandly, adverb

Other Words From

• grandly adverb
• grandness noun
• un·grand adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1920–25 grand fordef 14; Middle English gra(u)nd, gra(u)nt, from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis “great, large, full-grown”

Origin of grand²

Special use of grand

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand¹

C16: from Old French, from Latin grandis

Origin of grand²

from French grand-, on the model of Latin magnus in such phrases as avunculus magnus great-uncle

Example Sentences

Bates pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor grand theft and resisting a police officer, according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times

Finally, indulge me in this deep cut for one of the year’s best movies, Payal Kapadia’s evocative “All We Imagine as Light,” winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes.

From Los Angeles Times

The achievements have to be seen in writing to be believed: 22 Grand Slam titles, 92 ATP Tour titles, two Olympic gold medals, four Davis Cup final triumphs, 209 weeks as world number one, 912 consecutive weeks in the top 10.

From BBC

The 22-time Grand Slam champion's 23-year career came to an end in Malaga on Tuesday night after Spain were beaten by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

From BBC

Ahead of the album’s release, he dropped six singles including “Sober” — in which the Grand Ole Opry member speaks about his struggle with sobriety in an industry that he said “glorifies drinking and other kinds of debauchery.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambitious
• awe-inspiring
• dignified
• glorious
• grandiose
• imposing
• large
• lofty
• luxurious
• magnificent
• marvelous
• monumental
• noble
• opulent
• palatial
• splendid
• stately
• sumptuous

Words That Use grand-

What does grand- mean?

Grand– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one generation more remote.” It is typically used in genealogical terms.

Grand– comes from Latin grandis, meaning “great,” “large,” or “full-grown.” The Greek translation of grandis is mégas, meaning “big” or “great.” Mégas is the source of the combining form mega–. To learn more, check out our entry on mega-.

What are variants of grand-?

While not a variant of grand– in this sense exactly, the prefix great– is used to indicate further generations remote, as in great-grandparent, or parent two generations removed.

Examples of grand-

One example of a common word that features the form grand– is grandmother, “the mother of one’s father or mother.”

The grand– part of the word means “one generation remote.” As you no doubt guessed, –mother means “a female parent.” Grandmother literally means “a female parent one generation remote.”

What are some words that use the combining form grand-?

• granddad
• granddaughter
• grandfather
• grandkid
• grandparent
• grandson

What are some other forms that grand– may be commonly confused with?

• grano-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters grand-, such as grandee or grandeur, is necessarily using the combining form grand– to denote “one generation more remote.” Learn why grandeur means “impressive” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The word kid means “a child or young person.” With this in mind, what does grandkid mean?