granny flat

noun

chiefly British

: an apartment that is adjacent to the main living quarters of a house

Examples of granny flat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People will be tempted to build ADUs [accessory dwelling units, also known as backyard apartments or ‘granny flats’] and maximize profits by turning them into STRVs. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025

The man who claimed to be disrupting the backyard housing industry — securing financing, permits and building granny flats across San Diego County, before collecting millions of dollars without doing the work — is now seeking federal protection from his many creditors. —Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 13 June 2025

In most cases, Carmel homeowners currently have to apply for a zoning variance and go through a public hearing process in order to build granny flats, which can be a lengthy process. —Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Sep. 2024

In-law suites, garage apartments, or granny flats are all variations of accessory dwelling units—also known as ADUs. —Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from its use by parents of the family living in the house

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for granny flat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat