stepmother

American  

[step-muhth-er] / ˈstɛpˌmʌð ər /

noun

1. the wife, by a later marriage, of one's parent.

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stepmother British  

/ ˈstɛpˌmʌðə /

noun

1. a woman who has married one's father after the death or divorce of one's mother

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Other Word Forms

• stepmotherliness noun
• stepmotherly adverb

Etymology

Origin of stepmother

First recorded before 900; Middle English stepmoder, Old English stēopmōdor; step- + mother ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

"If I was alone, I wouldn't be hiding my name. But now I'm a stepmother, part of a complex family structure, and I feel a sense of responsibility," she said.

From Barron's

Similarly, his father and stepmother invited seven children to a resort at Steamboat Springs, Colo., for a summit to disclose estate plans.

From The Wall Street Journal

My stepmother cheated me out of $500K from my father’s estate.

From MarketWatch

As a single parent living with her father, stepmother and brother, she said "you want to create security, but when your wages are unpredictable, everything feels uncertain".

From BBC

Within a week or two after the deadline to contest the will expired, my stepmother sent me an email stating she would not share anything.

From MarketWatch