Grandmother: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：mother of one's parent (grandmother)

grandmother 🔊

/ˈɡrændˌmʌðər/

The mother of your mother or father.

Grandmother baking cookies in a cozy kitchen scene

mother of one's parent 🔊

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/ˈmʌðər əv wʌnz ˈpɛrənt/

The mother of a person's father or mother; a female grandparent.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'grand-' (large, senior) + 'mother'; literally 'senior mother'.

💡 Mnemonic

Picture your grandma: the 'grand' (big) mother figure.

📖 Example

My grandmother tells the best stories about her childhood in the countryside. 🔊 My grandmother tells the best stories about her childhood in the countryside.

🔗 Collocations

maternal grandmother – mother's mother

paternal grandmother – father's mother

great-grandmother – mother's grandmother or father's grandmother

🔄 Synonyms

grandma (n.) – informal term for grandmother

granny (n.) – affectionate term for grandmother

nana (n.) – childish or informal term for grandmother

🚫 Antonyms

grandfather (n.) – male grandparent

🌱 Derivatives

grandmotherly (adj.) – characteristic of a grandmother; kind and caring

grandmotherhood (n.) – the state of being a grandmother

great-grandmother (n.) – the mother of one's grandparent

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Old French 'grand mere' (grand + mere). In English, prefix 'grand-' denotes one generation removed.