grandma

grandma — noun

1. a friendly or informal word for a grandmother — your parent's mother. People use

1.nounA2
Definition

a friendly or informal word for a grandmother — your parent's mother. People use 'grandma' when they speak to their grandmother directly or when they talk about her to other people.

Example

My grandma always bakes me cookies when I visit her house.

Grandma, can you show me how to knit a scarf?

used as a direct form of address, no article needed

Common collocations
  • my grandma
  • your grandma
  • her grandma
  • his grandma
  • dear Grandma
  • Grandma + [name]
Synonyms
  • grandmother

    more formal and less warm-sounding than 'grandma'; better for official or written contexts

  • granny

    equally informal but can sound old-fashioned; common in British English

  • nana

    very informal, often used by young children; common in British and Australian English

Antonyms
  • grandpa

    the male equivalent — the father of one's parent

Usage Note

When used directly as a name to address someone (e.g., 'Grandma, are you ready?'), 'grandma' is often capitalised and does not take an article like 'the' or 'my'. When used as a regular noun to talk about someone ('my grandma', 'her grandma'), it is written in lowercase.

Common Mistakes

I love my Grandma.' (lowercase when used as a regular noun)
I love my grandma.
'grandma' is only capitalised when it is used as a name or title to address someone directly, not when you simply talk about your grandmother.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All these words refer to the mother of one's parent, but they differ in formality and regional flavour. 'Grandmother' is the most formal and is commonly used in writing, official documents, or by adults in polite conversation. 'Grandma' is the everyday informal term used by people of all ages across English-speaking countries. 'Granny' feels slightly old-fashioned and warmly affectionate — it often appears in children's books and family sayings ('granny's apple pie'), though some modern speakers avoid it. 'Nana' and 'nan' are very informal variants common in British and Australian families, especially among young children. In practice, the choice depends mostly on family tradition: 'My grandmother just retired' sounds neutral and respectful, while 'My nana knits me jumpers' feels cosy and familiar.

grandmother ↗granny ↗nananan

Common collocations

Nouns

  • grandma's house
  • grandma's cooking
  • grandma's garden
  • Grandma + name (Grandma Rosa)

Phrases

  • visit grandma
  • stay with grandma
  • call grandma
  • live with grandma

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Grandma' is a shortened, child-friendly form of 'grandmother'. It was formed in English by combining 'grand-' (from Old French 'grand', meaning 'older generation relative') with 'ma' (a simple, childlike shortening of 'mother'). The word first appeared in writing around the 1700s as families began using affectionate nicknames for grandparents.