the father of one's father or mother - (often plural)
a male ancestor - (often capital)
a familiar term of address for an old man
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
grand•fa•ther /ˈgrænˌfɑðɚ, ˈgrænd-/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the father of one's father or mother.
grand•fa•ther
(gran′fä′ᵺər, grand′-),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
- the father of one's father or mother.
- a forefather.
- the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.;
the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence:the grandfather of all steam locomotives.
v.t.
- Bankingto exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements:The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.
- 1375–1425; late Middle English; see grand-, father
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'grandfather' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Acton
- Aeacus
- Arcesius
- Autolycus
- Charles Martel
- Darwin
- Du Maurier
- Ephraim
- Harrison
- Hashimite
- Huxley
- Mendelssohn
- Merovingian
- Omayyad
- Rothschild
- Sassanid
- Stanhope
- anecdotage
- atavism
- avuncular
- ayah
- back
- big daddy
- board
- boss
- cotton
- die
- frail
- gramps
- grand
- grand-
- grandad
- granddad
- granddaddy
- grandfather clause
- grandfather clock
- grandfather's chair
- grandfather's clock
- grandfatherly
- grandmother's clock
- grandpa
- grandpapa
- grandpappy
- grandsire
- great-
- great-aunt
- great-grandaunt
- great-grandfather
- great-grandparent
- great-granduncle