grandmother

noun

grand·​moth·​er ˈgran(d)-ˌmə-t͟hər 

1

: the mother of one's father or mother

2

: a female ancestor

grandmotherly

ˈgran(d)-ˌmə-t͟hər-lē 

adjective

Examples of grandmother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

United’s great-grandmother was the legendary Holsteiner mare Classic Touch, who won individual gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with German rider Ludger Beerbaum. — Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Peppiatt’s great-grandmother, the first in the lineage to professionalize crafting, was a lacemaker specializing in women’s gloves, and Peppiatt’s grandmother taught her artisanal embroidery skills. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Carrie Coon as a Holocaust survivor ensnared in a cult in The Liberation, the story of director Guy Nattiv’s own grandmother. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

The Administration for Children’s Services briefly took custody of the girl before turning her over to her grandmother, who will now raise her. — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grandmother

• another
• godmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• brother
• mother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther

Kids Definition

grandmother

noun

grand·​moth·​er ˈgran(d)-ˌmət͟h-ər 

1

: the mother of one's father or mother

2

: a female ancestor