grandmother

noun

grand·​moth·​er ˈgran(d)-ˌmə-t͟hər How to pronounce grandmother (audio)
1
: the mother of one's father or mother
2
: a female ancestor
grandmotherly adjective

Examples of grandmother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the movie, a young woman named Heather (Alexandra Daddario) learns that she’s actually adopted and her biological grandmother has died. Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025 My grandmother cooked a lot of really good Mexican food. J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025 More recently, Lockhart appeared intermittently as matriarch Maria Ramirez on General Hospital and guest-starred as Ryan Stiles’ mother on The Drew Carey Show, as the Tanner girls’ kindergarten teacher on Full House and as the grandmother of Tori Spelling on Beverly Hills, 90210. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025 After his grandmother died, Prince Andrew approached the Crown Estate about acquiring the leasehold on the property. Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grandmother

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grandmother was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Grandmother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandmother. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

grandmother

noun
grand·​moth·​er ˈgran(d)-ˌmət͟h-ər How to pronounce grandmother (audio)
1
: the mother of one's father or mother
2
: a female ancestor

More from Merriam-Webster on grandmother

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