grandchild

IPA/ˈɡræntʃaɪld/
KK[ɡrˈændtʃˌaɪld]IPA/ˈɡræntʃaɪld/

grandchild — noun

  • grandchildsingular
  • grandchildrenplural

1. a child that is the son or daughter of one of your children, putting them two ge

1.nounA2
Definition

a child that is the son or daughter of one of your children, putting them two generations below you in a family

Example

Aiko's grandmother loves spending time with her only grandchild.

possessive: someone's grandchild

The photo shows Mr. Chen with all five of his grandchildren at the park.

countable noun: grandchild / grandchildren

Common collocations
  • someone's grandchild
  • first grandchild
  • only grandchild
Synonyms
  • grandson

    a male grandchild — more specific than grandchild

  • granddaughter

    a female grandchild — more specific than grandchild

  • grandkid

    informal term for grandchild

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Grandchild is the general term for any child of one's son or daughter, regardless of gender. Grandson and granddaughter specify the gender — use grandson for a boy and granddaughter for a girl. Grandkid is an informal, friendly alternative that works for any gender; you might hear 'My grandkids are coming over' in casual conversation but avoid it in formal writing. If you need to be gender-neutral and neutral in register, stick with grandchild or the plural grandchildren.

grandson ↗granddaughter ↗grandkid ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • first grandchild
  • only grandchild
  • new grandchild

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchOld EnglishEnglish

The word grandchild is formed by combining grand- (from Old French 'grant', meaning 'big' or 'one generation removed') with child (from Old English 'cild', meaning 'infant or young person'). The prefix grand- was first used for family relationships in the early 1500s, following the same pattern as grandfather and grandmother. A grandchild is literally 'a child one generation larger' — that is, one step further from you in the family tree.