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
In September, Hamrick appeared on the British talk show Loose Women and spoke about having stepchildren who are older than her.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
She is survived by three stepchildren, two grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and two great-great grandchildren, according to the Times.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
China's Foreign Ministry formally announced the decision Thursday, adding the the only exception will be for families who are adopting the children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 6 Sep. 2024
The fine print: The study's authors collected data for women and nonbinary legislators with biological children, foster children, stepchildren and formally or informally adopted children under 18.
—Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild 
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Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
She is survived by three stepchildren, two grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and two great-great grandchildren, according to the Times.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
China's Foreign Ministry formally announced the decision Thursday, adding the the only exception will be for families who are adopting the children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 6 Sep. 2024
The fine print: The study's authors collected data for women and nonbinary legislators with biological children, foster children, stepchildren and formally or informally adopted children under 18.
—Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild
Dictionary Entries Near stepchild
Cite this Entry
“Stepchild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepchild. Accessed 28 Dec. 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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