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Showing results for stepsister. Search instead for Step sister.
Synonyms

stepsister

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

noun

  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

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.

Dealing with my mother and my stepsister is exhausting and causes me a lot of anxiety.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 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

On both days her stepsister Hattie said Ella would return shortly, so I waited for hours, but she never came.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.