foster child
Americannoun
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a child raised by someone who is not their biological or adoptive parent.
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a needy child, such as one living in an impoverished country, supported or aided by contribution to a specific charity.
noun
Etymology
Origin of foster child
1150–1200; Middle English fostercild
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said she believed the theft may have been a part of a coping mechanism and likened herself to a foster child who may hoard items or food as a means of soothing themselves.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2025
The boy was aged 12 at the time of the incident and was a foster child in Mrs Grant's care.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023
From his time as a foster child, Saka said: “I know what it’s like to feel uprooted and swept away.”
From Seattle Times • Jun. 30, 2023
Him being a foster child feels like a significant piece of things.
From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2023
Since many of the guests had legislative power to make reforms, I suggested that they find a foster child who needed a permanent home and help make it happen in less than six months.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
