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Synonyms

stepsister

American  
[step-sis-ter] / ˈstɛpˌsɪs tər /

noun

stepsisters plural
  1. one's stepfather's or stepmother's daughter by a previous marriage.


stepsister British  
/ ˈstɛpˌsɪstə /

noun

  1. a daughter of one's stepmother or stepfather by a union with someone other than one's father or mother respectively

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of stepsister

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at step-, sister

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.

See Examples For:

As you note, your stepsister apprised him of the risks inherent in a revocable trust, the most significant being that its terms could be changed upon his passing.

From MarketWatch Jan. 26, 2026

Hahn: It’s interesting, Mark, because I’ve always felt kind of like basically just invited to the party, so I always have felt like the messy stepsister on the outside looking in.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 5, 2025

What I found in this fairy tale is that the stepsister is the most relatable character and has been for thousands of years.

From Salon Apr. 18, 2025

Baena's surviving family includes his mother Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern; father Scott and stepmother Michele Baena; brother Brad Baena; stepsister Bianca Gabay and stepbrother Jed Fluxman.

From BBC Jan. 7, 2025

“Don’t you want to be stepsister to the queen and make her give you whatever you like?”

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

They were stepsisters who hadn’t seen each other since they were little girls.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

But “Grounded” would have been better left without its imposed topic, which inadvertently casts much work as ugly stepsisters unsuccessfully trying to jam their feet into Cinderella’s glass slipper.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 9, 2025

Despite the family's efforts to protect them, her younger stepsisters found out that their father and mother were trapped under the rubble from other children at school.

From BBC Apr. 9, 2025

The beneficiaries are now Keough and her two younger stepsisters.

From New York Times Mar. 9, 2023

Ash wondered who Prince Aidan would choose as his bride that night, and she wondered how disappointed her stepsisters would be when it was not one of them.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

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