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
The future senator specifically included Vice President Kamala Harris — who has stepchildren but no biological children.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 4 Sep. 2024
Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has two stepchildren with her husband, Doug Emhoff.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 July 2024
Kerstin Emhoff, the mother of Harris’ stepchildren, and Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, both said this week that Harris is a present and supportive parent.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN, 27 July 2024
Harris, who is now the likely Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, has two stepchildren with her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild 
Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 4 Sep. 2024
Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has two stepchildren with her husband, Doug Emhoff.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 July 2024
Kerstin Emhoff, the mother of Harris’ stepchildren, and Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, both said this week that Harris is a present and supportive parent.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN, 27 July 2024
Harris, who is now the likely Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, has two stepchildren with her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild
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 1 Oct. 2024.
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stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchīld
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
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