granddaddy

noun

grand·​dad·​dy ˈgran-ˌda-dē 

variants or less commonly grandaddy

1

: grandfather sense 1a

2

: one that is the first, earliest, or most venerable of its kind

Synonyms

• ancestor
• antecedent
• archetype
• daddy
• foregoer
• forerunner
• precursor
• predecessor
• prototype

Examples of granddaddy in a Sentence

the granddaddy of all English mystery novels

Recent Examples on the Web

This show has become the granddaddy of tech shows and is the largest in the U.S. —Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

As the granddaddy of partnerships with limited liability, the LP, the original limited partnership, offered taxpayers the strongest claim for invoking the loophole. —Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2024

For the first time since the Oscars were first televised in 1953, the 2025 edition of the granddaddy of all award shows will stream live on Hulu for all subscribers, in addition to airing live on ABC. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Also part of this collection is hats, jackets and socks all paying homage to the granddaddy of American guitars. —Ron Hart, SPIN, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1