stepmother
noun
the wife, by a later marriage, of one's parent.
stepmothers
-
pluralof stepmother.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
And you thought spiteful stepmothers wreaked havoc only in fairy tales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
My tone may sound alarmist, but it’s my attempt to be realistic, especially based on the number of letters I receive from and about stepmothers in this column.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 20, 2026
“You might not have that money, but you have siblings, you have stepmothers, you have mothers — you have relationships and the complexities of blended families.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
Our popular lore is filled with unkind stereotypes about mothers-in-law and stepmothers.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
Jim Button was motherless, too—and all you found in fairy tales were wicked stepmothers; heartless, jealous stepmothers...the list could go on forever.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
