stepmother

American  

[step-muhth-er] / ˈstɛpˌmʌð ər /

noun

stepmothers plural

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

Derived Forms

• stepmotherliness
  noun
• stepmotherly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stepmothers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stepmother

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

Example Sentences

The video was recorded by Chiu’s stepmother, who witnessed the bear from a distance, he wrote in the caption.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Ahead of Sangha's sentencing, Perry's stepmother Debbie Perry, asked the judge to hand the maximum possible prison sentence.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

In a victim impact statement submitted to the court, Perry’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, wrote: “Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

A stepmother or stepfather may promise their spouse the world while both parties are living, but have a change of heart the day after their spouse’s funeral.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

In Charles’s mind, neither his father nor stepmother showed him much affection.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow