stepparent

noun

step·​par·​ent ˈstep-ˌper-ənt How to pronounce stepparent (audio)
: a person who is a stepmother or stepfather

Examples of stepparent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Usually these harms were inflicted by a caregiver – a parent, stepparent, grandparent or other guardian. Laura Schwab Reese, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025 Upon her wedding, Princess Beatrice also became the first member of the royal family in her generation to take on the role of a stepparent, becoming a stepmother to Edo's now-9-year-old son, Christopher Woolf, whom the family calls Wolfie. Meredith Kile, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Parents may share holidays, transition from one home to the other and maintain a good relationship with stepparents. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 18 June 2025 Half of the parents also remarried within five years of divorce, introducing stepparents to children's lives, and adding more dependents to the household as a result. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stepparent

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stepparent was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“Stepparent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepparent. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

stepparent

noun
step·​par·​ent ˈstep-ˌpar-ənt How to pronounce stepparent (audio)
-ˌper-
: a person who is a stepmother or stepfather

More from Merriam-Webster on stepparent

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