stepparent

[ step-pair-uhnt, -par- ]

noun

1. a stepfather or stepmother.

Other Words From

• stepparent·ing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stepparent¹

First recorded in 1885–90; step- + parent

Example Sentences

The relationship between a stepparent and stepchildren is often a challenging one, especially if the stepparent comes later in the lives of the stepchildren.

From No Straight News

Sapp pushed back, not for the last time, and got both her stepparents and her three half-siblings and a grandmother and a couple aunts and a cousin in the photo, too.

From Time

Related Words

• aunt
• cousin
• father
• folk
• mother
• niece
• sibling
• uncle