stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchī(-ə)ld 
1
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
2
: one that fails to receive proper care or attention
is no longer a stepchild in the family of nations—
F. R. Smith
F. R. SmithExamples of stepchild in a Sentence
The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Harris also lobbed antisemitic slurs at the adult child and stepchild of Victim No. 1 and his wife, court documents say.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
William Coddington was at the wheel with his partner, Alicia Ramos, at his side and their two children and his two stepchildren in back.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
In his Instagram bio, the singer describes himself as father to his two stepchildren, Julia and Jack, and Brian Kainoa Makoa.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
Carolyn Hax columns about chores Perspective Carolyn Hax: Is ‘here’s your chore list’ too unwelcoming to stepchild?
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Leave the discipline to the biological parent Being there for your stepchild means building a healthy relationship with them.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Emily Tavis, left; her stepchildren Kyndall Roberts and Levi Gooch; her partner, Jacob Gooch; and his son, Jacob Gooch Jr., celebrate at the Kansas City Chiefs' rally Wednesday.
—Daniella Silva, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
The actresses who played her stepchildren, including Laurie Walters, Lani O’Grady and Dianne Kay, were Buckley’s age or just a few years younger.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
Deprived of both her babies and traded off like an old mule to a tough, inflexible farmer called Mister (Colman Domingo, looming like the Big Bad Wolf over his household), Celie has Cinderella’s burden in reverse, as she’s obliged to care for a household of wicked stepchildren.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Dec. 2023
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
William Coddington was at the wheel with his partner, Alicia Ramos, at his side and their two children and his two stepchildren in back.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
In his Instagram bio, the singer describes himself as father to his two stepchildren, Julia and Jack, and Brian Kainoa Makoa.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
Carolyn Hax columns about chores Perspective Carolyn Hax: Is ‘here’s your chore list’ too unwelcoming to stepchild?
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Leave the discipline to the biological parent Being there for your stepchild means building a healthy relationship with them.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Emily Tavis, left; her stepchildren Kyndall Roberts and Levi Gooch; her partner, Jacob Gooch; and his son, Jacob Gooch Jr., celebrate at the Kansas City Chiefs' rally Wednesday.
—Daniella Silva, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
The actresses who played her stepchildren, including Laurie Walters, Lani O’Grady and Dianne Kay, were Buckley’s age or just a few years younger.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
Deprived of both her babies and traded off like an old mule to a tough, inflexible farmer called Mister (Colman Domingo, looming like the Big Bad Wolf over his household), Celie has Cinderella’s burden in reverse, as she’s obliged to care for a household of wicked stepchildren.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stepchild.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stepchild
Cite this Entry
“Stepchild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepchild. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchīld
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
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