plural nanas
informal
: the mother of one's father or mother : grandmother
… my nana's commonsense wisdom still resonates. She told me it's not important what people say they do, it's what they do that counts.—
Ms.
Ms.The Detroit rapper [Big Sean] hopped on Instagram on Monday … to send out a heartfelt tribute to his nana, who he says has a special place in armed forces lineage.—C. Vernon Coleman II
—often used as a form of addressC. Vernon Coleman II"I don't know, Nana," said Eufala … . "It doesn't look very much like a car."—Kathleen Lane and Cabell Harris
Kathleen Lane and Cabell HarrisExamples of nana in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This one was reserved for the nanas, the mamis, the vovos and the gogos.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, NPR, 14 June 2026
Due to this, my nana assumes and makes up reasons and scenarios.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 6 June 2026
In West Virginia, there are nanas and nans, grams and grandmas, grannies, abuelas, and even some nonnas.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Oh no, even Carolyn’s nana is reading the tabloids?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nana
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Ryan Lenora Brown, NPR, 14 June 2026
Due to this, my nana assumes and makes up reasons and scenarios.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 6 June 2026
In West Virginia, there are nanas and nans, grams and grandmas, grannies, abuelas, and even some nonnas.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Oh no, even Carolyn’s nana is reading the tabloids?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nana
Cite this Entry
“Nana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nana. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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