grandaunt

noun

grand·​aunt ˈgrand-ˈant How to pronounce grandaunt (audio)
-ˈänt
: the aunt of one's father or mother

called also great-aunt

Examples of grandaunt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Like an old soul born to be a star, Eric loved to entertain and bring smiles to everyone around him – and always found an adoring audience in his family, said Mary Joseph, Eric’s grandaunt. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 9 Oct. 2023 My husband’s grandaunt and I bond over my love of polenta. Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2023 The great-great-great-grandaunt of protagonist Josephine was among those set ablaze; her burning took place on the beach. Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 There, under the tutelage of a maternal grandaunt, she was taught ancient Irish ways of life known as the Brehon laws. New York Times, 24 Feb. 2022 Initially, the group was run by advisors handpicked by Birla’s grandaunt, Priyamvada Birla. Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, 17 June 2019 Burns is one of many black people who, in addition to biological mothers, have aunts, grandaunts, or other women who have played a hand in their upbringing. Brandon T. Harden, Philly.com, 11 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grandaunt.' 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

1675, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grandaunt was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near grandaunt

Cite this Entry

“Grandaunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandaunt. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grandaunt

noun
grand·​aunt ˈgran-ˈdant How to pronounce grandaunt (audio)
-ˈdȧnt
: an aunt of one's father or mother
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