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

After the shooting, the grandfather put his gun away and then went outside, where he was contacted by officers. — Sara Jean Green, The Seattle Times, "Police: Renton grandfather fatally shot grandson during domestic-violence incident," 12 Nov. 2018 Some even falsely suggested that Mr. Lee made the tribute not to Ho but to Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea and the grandfather of its current leader, Kim Jong-un. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "There’s a crack at the heart of Facebook’s advertising business," 4 Oct. 2018 World-famous aerial photographer Austin Post went up to map the ice field with JIRP in 1953, and Ed LaChapelle, snow science guru considered the grandfather of American avalanche research, was a JIRP field leader from 1954-1956. — Scott Yorko, Popular Mechanics, "Back to Alaska: How a Legendary Glacier Adventure Almost Died When the World Needed It Most," 12 Sep. 2018 Seo said goose-stepping soldiers likely began appearing in parades between the late 1950s and early 1960s when Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and the grandfather of Kim Jong Un, was solidifying his grip on power. — Fox News, "Past goose-steppers proud of place in North Korean parades," 6 Sep. 2018 George III is also the grandfather of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was the mother of Queen Mary of Teck and Queen Elizabeth's great-grandmother. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "How Prince Harry is Related to King George III in Hamilton," 29 Aug. 2018 No charges have been filed in the grandfather's shooting. — Glenn E. Rice And Joe Robertson, kansascity, "Kansas City teen, sought in Amber Alert, charged with robbing girl's grandfather," 25 June 2018 The Bennington flag was flown in the Battle of Bennington in 1777 by Nathaniel Fillmore, grandfather of President Millard Fillmore. — Josh Axelrod And Saeed Ahmed, CNN, "It's Flag Day. Here are some fun facts about the American flag you may not have known," 14 June 2018 Rising animosities eased after then-North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of Kim Jong Un, expressed regret over the killing. — Time, "From Spy Games to Summits, Here Are 10 Historic Moments in U.S.-North Korean Relations," 11 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 The family room below is actually part of an addition that was grandfathered in before Contreras purchased the home. — Lisa Van Loo, azcentral, "Phoenix Coronado house renovation: Lofts, beams and Notorious B.I.G. wallpaper," 7 June 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.