half sister

noun

1. sister ( def 2 ).

half-sister

noun

1. the daughter of either of one's parents by another partner

Word History and Origins

Origin of half sister¹

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

Example Sentences

The child of parents who were both on their second marriages, he came into the world with two half brothers and a half sister who are 15, 13 and nine years older.

From Time

Her half-sister Lorna Luft is, but is anyone making sure Liza's not near open flame or an exposed electronic cable?

From The Daily Beast

Cressida, 20 at the time, bagged the job through half-sister Isabella Calthorpe, who had a lead role, according to the paper.

From The Daily Beast

Her father attempted to stage an intervention into her drinking, and it was reported that she had a hitherto unknown half-sister.

From The Daily Beast

"It's sad [Melissa] went down that path," said Brittany Johnson, Barthelemy's half sister.

From The Daily Beast

I also had a daughter and son-in-law who were about the age of her half-brother and half-sister.

From The Daily Beast

Her ladyship was a half-sister of their father's, and from the height of her grandeur magnanimously patronizing now and then.

From Project Gutenberg

They were to start the next day, accompanied by Mrs. Suydam's very amenable half-sister.

From Project Gutenberg

Duncan held a faint impression that his half-sister had never been at all partial to this near neighbor of his.

From Project Gutenberg

This half sister, twelve years younger than herself, had come and gone like some happy dream in Miss Virginia's life.

From Project Gutenberg

He had a half-sister much younger than himself who once visited here on her way South.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Half Sister

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.

Where does half sister come from?

The first records of the term half sister come from the 1100s. The word half refers to the fact that a half sister shares one biological parent with a sibling, not two. Still, half sister are considered blood relatives.

It’s not uncommon for people to have a half-sibling. This always involves one’s parent having a child with another partner. Circumstances vary, but such situations often involve the death of a parent, a separation, or a divorce.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for half sister?

• half-sibling
• sister
• sibling

What are some words that share a root or word element with half sister? 

 

• half
• sister
• half brother
• stepsister

What are some words that often get used in discussing half sister?

 

• share
• biological parent
• parent
• related
• blood
• family
• marriage
• divorce
• birth
• maternal
• paternal

What are some words half sister may be commonly confused with?

• stepsister

How is half sister used in real life?

People use terms like half brother and half sister to specify how siblings are related. A lot of people simply call their half sister their sister.

I call my half brother’s half sister my sister because my dad raised her with us https://t.co/1QXIzyG5SH

— 👸🏻 (@lilstringbeans) February 28, 2019

Recently got in contact with my half sister, still can’t believe I have a chance to be an older sister🥺💕

— DeeDee (@Debbie_Debsss) November 15, 2020

Half or full blood regardless I call them my brothers/ sisters. The term half sister has always felt weird to say

— Samantha (@heavensleche) November 13, 2020

 

Try using half sister!

True or False? 

If a person’s mother and father got divorced and each had a daughter with another spouse, both of the daughters would be considered this person’s half sisters.