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 one long stint, she and her husband were separated from her stepchildren.
—Renee Maltezou, Cassell Bryan-Low, Yannis Souliotis and Phil Stewart, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
You May Also Like Related Articles Dockers has long been treated as a stepchild by Levi’s, which created the business as a men’s khaki brand in 1986 to diversify beyond its denim roots.
—Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 4 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Some in the GOP have used comments about not having biological children as a line of attack against Vice President Kamala Harris, a proud parent to two stepchildren.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024
And when Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, bounded on stage to join Harris at the Democratic National Convention, he was followed by her Jamaican Indian sister, white Gen Z stepchildren, Black brother-in-law and Indian auntie.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild 
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Renee Maltezou, Cassell Bryan-Low, Yannis Souliotis and Phil Stewart, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
You May Also Like Related Articles Dockers has long been treated as a stepchild by Levi’s, which created the business as a men’s khaki brand in 1986 to diversify beyond its denim roots.
—Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 4 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Some in the GOP have used comments about not having biological children as a line of attack against Vice President Kamala Harris, a proud parent to two stepchildren.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024
And when Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, bounded on stage to join Harris at the Democratic National Convention, he was followed by her Jamaican Indian sister, white Gen Z stepchildren, Black brother-in-law and Indian auntie.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 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 7 Nov. 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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