# grandfathering

Pronunciation: say "GRAND-fah-thuh-ring" US /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðəɹɪŋ/, UK /ˈɡɹandfɑːðəɹɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The practice of exempting people or things already established from new laws or regulations.
   - Simple: Letting people or businesses that already follow the old way keep doing so after a new rule starts.
   - _The zoning board approved grandfathering for businesses that opened before the ordinance took effect._
   - _Without grandfathering, every factory would have had to install the new filters immediately._

## Verb

2. Present participle of grandfather. — present participle and gerund of grandfather
   - Simple: Present participle of grandfather. Use this form for the action happening now or as a name for the action.
   - _The agency is grandfathering permits issued before the policy change._
   - _Lawmakers considered grandfathering existing plants rather than forcing immediate upgrades._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/grandfathering (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).