grandparent

IPA/ˈɡrænpeərənt/
KK[ɡrˈændpˌɛrənt]IPA/ˈɡrænperənt/

grandparent — noun

  • grandparentsingular
  • grandparentsplural

1. the parent of someone's mother or father; in other words, a grandmother or a gra

1.nounA2
Definition

the parent of someone's mother or father; in other words, a grandmother or a grandfather.

Example

Every summer, Amara stays with her grandparents in a house near the beach.

plural 'grandparents' for both grandmother and grandfather

My grandmother taught me how to make bread when I was young.

Common collocations
  • visit grandparents
  • stay with grandparents
  • live with grandparents
  • grandparents' house
  • both sets of grandparents
  • paternal grandparents
  • maternal grandparents
Synonyms
  • grandmother

    specifically the female grandparent

  • grandfather

    specifically the male grandparent

  • elder

    broader; can refer to any older person, not necessarily a family relation

Antonyms
  • grandchild

    the child of one's child — the opposite generation relationship

Grammar Patterns

grandparent (singular)

grandparents (plural)

's possessive: grandparent's, grandparents'

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'grandparents' when referring to both grandmother and grandfather as a pair. In possessive constructions, the apostrophe goes after the 's' for the plural: 'my grandparents' house'.

Common Mistakes

My great-grandparent lives next door.' (when meaning one generation above)
My grandparent lives next door.
'great-grandparent' is the parent of a grandparent (two generations above), not one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'grandparent' refers specifically to the mother or father of one's own parent, 'grandmother' and 'grandfather' name each gender within that same relationship. 'Elder' is a much broader term — it can mean any older person in a community, not necessarily a family member. 'Ancestor' reaches further back in the family tree to any relative from past generations (great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, etc.). For everyday family talk, 'grandparent' is the best all-purpose choice: 'My grandparents live nearby' is natural, while 'My elders live nearby' sounds vague, and 'My ancestors live nearby' would be incorrect since ancestors are deceased.

grandmother ↗grandfather ↗elder ↗ancestor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • great-grandparent
  • paternal grandparent
  • maternal grandparent

Phrases

  • both sets of grandparents
  • grandparent and grandchild

Prepositions

  • of (e.g. the grandparent of a child)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'grandparent' joins 'grand-' (from Old French 'grant', meaning 'big' or 'one generation removed') with 'parent' (from Latin 'parere', 'to give birth'). In English family terms, the prefix 'grand-' marks a gap of one generation: a grandparent is the parent of a parent. This same pattern appears in grandchild, grandaunt, and granduncle.