half sister
noun
Jump To:
-
half sister
-
half-sister
half-sisternounthe daughter of either of one's parents by another partner
half sister
Americannoun
half sisters
plural
half-sister
British
noun
Usage
What does half sister mean? A half sister is a sister who is related to her sibling(s) through only one parent. This typically means that they share only one biological parent (not both). For example, when a person’s parent has a daughter with another partner (who is not the person’s parent), the daughter is considered the person’s half sister. The term half brother is used in the same way. Half-sibling is a gender-neutral way of saying the same thing. In contrast, the words stepsister, stepbrother, and stepsibling refer to those who have a sibling relationship (often based on the remarriage of their parents to other partners) but who do not share a biological parent. The word half in half sister and its related terms only refers to the biological relationship. Half sisters may have close relationships with their siblings, and many people simply call their half sister their sister. Modifiers such as maternal and paternal are sometimes used to specify which biological parent the siblings have in common. Example: Over the holidays, I got together with my maternal half sister and my paternal half brother and we had a great time.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of half sister
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200
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.
See Examples For:
When she opened her results and saw the mind-boggling truth that her twin was her half sister, Lavinia was distraught - and furious.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Ms. Kuehn met her father’s half sister, Ruth, only once, in 1987.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Breasia was the half sister of Dinkins’ son, and investigators have said both children were staying the night with him at the apartment where he was living with a girlfriend.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2023
Paparazzi spotted Corinne, her half sister Anelise and Anelise’s mom, Kristin Grannis, at the facility in May.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2023
Branwell’s half sister is younger; mine is older.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Barker was also able to dig into his father's background, learning he had three half-brothers and a half-sister.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Although he kept contact with his father while in care, his coordinator helped him establish relationships with his wider family, including aunts, uncles, cousins and a half-sister.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Daisy is not Baby Nicole, the half-sister of Agnes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
The baby’s half-sister would be easier for the older couple to take care of.
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026
‘What in the world came over you?’ asked the ancient half-sister, clasping his hands tenderly in hers.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
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.
