1. Home
2. Idioms
3. grandfather

grandfather

---

---

(a) grandfather clause

a clause in an agreement that protects certain rights granted in the past even when conditions change in the future. The contract contained a grandfather clause that protected my pension payments against claims such as might arise from a future lawsuit.

See also: grandfather

grandfather someone or something in

to protect someone or a right through the use of a grandfather clause. My payments were grandfathered in years ago.

See also: grandfather