stepfather

[ step-fah-ther ]

/ ˈstɛpˌfɑ ðər /

Save This Word!

noun

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

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called step·dad [step-dad] /ˈstɛpˌdæd/ .

Origin of stepfather

First recorded before 900; Middle English stepfader, Old English stēopfæder; step- + father

OTHER WORDS FROM stepfather

step·fa·ther·ly, adverb

Words nearby stepfather

stepdame, stepdance, stepdaughter, step-down, stepfamily, stepfather, Stepford, step function, Stephanie, stephanion, stephanite

How to use stepfather in a sentence

Power restored to 2 million homes in Texas, but nearly half of state still told to boil waterPineda and the boy’s stepfather, Manuel Moreno, 38, immediately called 911, she said.
An 11-year-old boy died in an unheated Texas mobile home. Authorities suspect hypothermia.|Andrea Salcedo|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
A Fort Worth, Texas native, she moved at age 12 with her mother and stepfather to New York City.
Highsmith at 100: Literary legacy marred by racism|Kathi Wolfe|February 10, 2021|Washington Blade
My stepfather gathers the wood and builds a fire, my mom brings out blankets and we watch the flames dance in the darkness, skewering marshmallow after marshmallow for as many s’mores as our stomachs will allow.
Have s’more fun with pretzels, caramel, toasted coconut and cookies|Daniela Galarza|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
My stepfather called him Richard the Kid, because he was always on the make and never showed signs of settling down.
Leaving the Grace of This World|Brad Rassler|December 10, 2020|Outside Online

There’s the Christmas tree her stepfather was too drunk to mount in a stand.
Her Stepfather Admitted to Sexually Abusing Her. That Wasn’t Enough to Keep Her Safe.|by Nadia Sussman|September 18, 2020|ProPublica
His stepfather had left his mother and they could no longer afford the house in which they lived.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay|Justin Jones|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Antron McCray was with his mother for most of his interrogation, his stepfather for all of it.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A 7-year-old Las Vegas boy might be sitting in a third-grade classroom had he not been beaten to death by his stepfather.
Why Adrian Peterson Changed My Mind on Spanking|Brandy Zadrozny|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If Jax is capable of killing his stepfather Clay, is he capable if killing his own mother?
Inside 'Sons of Anarchy's' Final Season: Creator Kurt Sutter on the Most Brutal Season Yet|Annaliza Savage|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the film came out, my stepfather said to me, ‘I hope you’re not doing any writhing in your next one.
How Hollywood’s Most Realistic Sex Scenes Were Made: ‘Don’t Look Now’ to ‘Nymphomaniac’|Marlow Stern|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I am a very sincere friend of your stepfather, and I hope a sincere friend of yours also," he said with perfect coolness.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
"Regarding the secret relations between your stepfather and Doctor Weirmarsh," he answered.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Afterwards she went to her stepfather and suggested that perhaps they might leave Conflans earlier than he had resolved.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Not exactly, except that I heard my stepfather denounce the doctor as an infernal cur and blackguard.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
The signature, which was first to be glanced at by the girl, read: "From your affectionate stepfather, Willis Morgan."
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for stepfather

stepfather

/ (ˈstɛpˌfɑːðə) /

noun

a man who has married one's mother after the death or divorce of one's father

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012