1. the father of one’s father or mother

1. to exempt something from a new law or regulation because it existed before the law was passed
Usage: legal

Examples

• My grandfather taught me how to fish when I was young.
• She visits her grandfather every Sunday afternoon.
• His grandfather fought in World War II.
• The new safety regulations will grandfather existing equipment.
• The law grandfathered all buildings constructed before 1990.
• They decided to grandfather the old contracts under the previous terms.