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stepson

American  
[step-suhn] / ˈstɛpˌsʌn /

noun

  1. a son of one's husband or wife by a previous marriage.


stepson British  
/ ˈstɛpˌsʌn /

noun

  1. a son of one's husband or wife by a former union

"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 stepson

before 900; Middle English stepsone, Old English stēopsunu. See step-, son

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.

Social workers also learned the woman was caring for the prisoner's XL bully dog and had twice taken the child to visit the prisoner, who had begun referring to him as his "stepson".

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Several names were floated to lead from the right, including Jair's third wife and former first lady of Brazil Michelle Bolsonaro -- who faced family criticism for lukewarm support of her stepson, Flavio.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

The fraternity attracts the children of the very wealthy, including Evan Whitesell, the stepson of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Perhaps the most powerful among them is Oseguera’s stepson, Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as 03.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

I don't see it as my place to discipline my stepson.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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