love child

noun

plural love children

1

: a child whose parents were not married when the child was conceived

especially : the child of an affair

My older sister, Jean Marie, was the love child of an affair my mother had with a married man who, instead of leaving his wife for my mother, died of a heart attack.

—William Skeans, Jr.

—often used figuratively

A pair of furry Ugg slides that are basically a love child of your comfiest slippers and practical summer sandals.

—Kaysey Davis

2

: something (such as a project or collaboration) that is a product of hard work and devotion

The museum is the love child of the company's owner, Jacques Lorch, who for twenty-five years has been ferreting out artifacts pertaining to the subject that is his passion.

—Naomi Barry

Synonyms

• whoreson [archaic]
• by-blow [dated]

Examples of love child in a Sentence

the love child of a famous actor and one of his fans

a woman who claimed to be the love child of two of Hollywood's most beloved stars during its golden age

Recent Examples on the Web

Your 2am Ben & Jerry’s might soon be delivered by what looks like the love child of Wall-E and Lightning McQueen. —Sam Klebanov, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

There will be no Cartman, Kenny or the South Park gang tonight, nor more on Donald Trump and Satan’s love child. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025

But the new book claims to have access to 17 of his diaries and an interview with his secret love child. —Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

The end result was that my hair looked like the love child of the Bride of Frankenstein and the demonic doll Chucky. —Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for love child

• domiciled
• reconciled
• undefiled
• beguiled
• brainchild
• compiled
• defiled
• exiled
• grandchild
• profiled
• refiled
• reviled