Meaning & use
grandfather
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Meanings
nouncountable
The father of someone's mother or father.
Grammar: Countable noun; plural is 'grandfathers'. Often used with a possessive: my grandfather.
Patterns
- someone's grandfather
- a grandfather to someone
My grandfather taught me how to fish.
Her grandfather fought in the war.
He became a grandfather for the first time last year.
verbtransitive
To exempt someone or something from a new rule because they existed before it.
Grammar: Often used in the passive or with 'in': grandfather someone in, be grandfathered in.
Patterns
- grandfather someone in
- be grandfathered in
- grandfather a clause
The new regulation grandfathers existing businesses.
Older employees were grandfathered in under the old pension plan.
Lawmakers decided to grandfather the current license holders.
Word forms
| plural | grandfathers |
|---|---|
| third person singular | grandfathers |
| past tense | grandfathered |
| past participle | grandfathered |
| -ing form | grandfathering |
Common combinations
- grandfather clock
- The grandfather clock in the hall chimes every hour.
- grandfather clause
- The contract includes a grandfather clause for existing members.
- maternal grandfather
- My maternal grandfather was a teacher.
- paternal grandfather
- His paternal grandfather came from Italy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grandpa
- Informal and affectionate; used especially by children.
- granddad
- Informal British variant; also affectionate.
Opposites
Word family
- grandfatherly adjective
- Having the qualities of a kind, older man.
- grandparenthood noun
- The state of being a grandparent.
Commonly confused: grandfather or grandson?
grandfather vs grandson
A grandson is the son of your child; a grandfather is the father of your parent.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
An is correct because 'grandfather' is singular and takes 'was' in the past. B uses 'were' (plural), C uses 'are' (present plural), and D is illogical because 'is' and 'died' conflict in tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grandfather”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.