Definition of stepchild
1 : one that fails to receive proper care or attention is no longer a stepchild in the family of nations — F. R. Smith
2 : a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
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Examples of stepchild in a Sentence
The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.
Recent Examples of stepchild from the Web
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Midsize pickups had become a stepchild of the auto industry, neglected in favor of larger trucks such as the Chevy Silverado and Ford F-150.
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Upset: Mother's Day can be a tough and confusing day for stepmothers and stepchildren.
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To a large extent, the enterprise lurked in an obscure little corner of the business world, the ugly stepchild of advertising.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stepchild'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of stepchild
before 12th century
STEPCHILD Defined for English Language Learners
stepchild
playDefinition of stepchild for English Language Learners
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: your wife's or husband's child by a past marriage or relationship : a stepson or stepdaughter
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: someone or something that does not receive enough care or attention
Learn More about stepchild
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See words that rhyme with stepchild Nglish: Translation of stepchild for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stepchild for Arabic speakers
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