grandfather

noun

grand·fa·ther | \ ˈgran(d)-ˌfä-t͟hər

Definition of grandfather

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the father of one's father or mother

b : ancestor sense 1a

2 : granddaddy sense 2

grandfather

verb

grandfathered; grandfathering; grandfathers

Definition of grandfather (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to permit to continue under a grandfather clause

Other Words from grandfather Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about grandfather

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Synonyms & Antonyms for grandfather

Synonyms: Noun

ancestor, father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, primogenitor, progenitor

Antonyms: Noun

descendant (also descendent)

Examples of grandfather in a Sentence

Noun

this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The 46-year-old Hoiberg was born in Lincoln and maternal grandfather Jerry Bush was the Cornhuskers coach from 1954 to 1963. — Eric Olson, The Seattle Times, "Ex-Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg hired at struggling Nebraska," 30 Mar. 2019 His maternal grandfather, Frank Cosola, was a fireman and a former Navy sailor, who had earned a Silver Star in the Pacific during the Second World War. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "The Diplomat Who Quit the Trump Administration," 19 May 2018 Truman’s family hailed from a portion of Missouri that identified culturally with the South, and both of his grandfathers had been slave owners. — Joseph Crespino, WSJ, "‘Unexampled Courage’ Review: Showing America the Way," 18 Jan. 2019 My late grandfather, who was an old-line communist in his day, used to tell me with mixed admiration and regret that FDR had saved capitalism by entrenching institutions that guaranteed broadly shared prosperity. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Top House Democrats join Elizabeth Warren’s push to fundamentally change American capitalism," 14 Dec. 2018 Due to his health, Prince Philip (Princess Eugenie's grandfather, who underwent massive hip surgery earlier this year) may decide to sit this one out. — Zoe Weiner, Glamour, "Here's Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Might Miss Some of Princess Eugenie's Wedding," 10 Oct. 2018 Just why successive North Korean leaders—not only Kim Jong Un, but also his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung—were so reluctant to embrace change is an enduring puzzle. — Bloomberg.com, "Why Doesn’t North Korea Want to Be More Like Its Neighbors?," 23 May 2018 Russians stopped by the homes of their grandfathers and grandmothers, to drink tea or have lunch, and let the wartime generation know they were appreciated. — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, "A River of Pictures of the Dead From Russia’s Sacred War," 10 May 2018 Houlahan’s father and both of her grandfathers were U.S. Navy pilots, and her dad’s job flying P-3 Orion antisubmarine reconnaissance planes meant the family would always be along the water. — Jeffrey Mervis, Science | AAAS, "How a Pennsylvania industrial engineer became the odds-on favorite to win a seat in Congress," 8 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The move will apply to employers that sign new contracts after Jan. 1, 2020, but UnitedHealth will grandfather in existing clients that chose a different setup. — Anna Wilde Mathews, WSJ, "UnitedHealth to Require Drug Rebates Go to Consumers," 12 Mar. 2019 While existing wells would be grandfathered in, the rapid decline of unconventional oil and gas production could hurt companies’ expansion plans and, according to some, reduce production. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "Latest Peril for Oil Companies: Colorado Voters," 21 Oct. 2018 About a year ago, Dropbox grandfathered paying customers with the standard offering into the more advanced plan. — Micah Maidenberg, WSJ, "Dropbox Shares Fall on Operating Officer’s Planned Exit," 9 Aug. 2018 By buying flood insurance now, officials say, policy holders would be grandfathered in and subject to only gradual increases once new maps are established. — David W. Chen, New York Times, "In New York, Drawing Flood Maps Is a ‘Game of Inches’," 7 Jan. 2018 Through Week 3 of this season, about 40 were still in use that were grandfathered in. — Rob Maaddi, The Seattle Times, "NFL wants players to play with a free mind," 16 Oct. 2018 Banning was grandfathered into the old price but Tesla's website wasn't set up for that. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Tesla pulled the “full self-driving” option—here’s what customers think," 25 Oct. 2018 Some members of the audience said knowing which students will be grandfathered in to the existing school attendance areas without knowing where the new boundaries will be does not ease any of their uncertainty or concern. — Kimberly Fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Hinsdale District 86 discusses which students may choose a high school outside new attendance areas," 10 July 2018 In 2016, all OG, pre-2014 customers who were grandfathered in to the new Standard plan at $7.99 per month were finally forced to pay the same $9.99 as everyone else. — Madeline Buxton, refinery29.com, "Netflix's Ultra Subscription Could Be Its Most Expensive Plan Yet," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grandfather.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.