stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchī(-ə)ld 
1
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
2
: one that fails to receive proper care or attention
is no longer a stepchild in the family of nations—
F. R. Smith
F. R. SmithExamples of stepchild in a Sentence
The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Silverman is survived by his two children, Kathy Leininger and Mark Silverman, three stepchildren, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
After the network ended its popular music video countdown series 106 & Park in 2014, the Hip Hop Awards felt like BET's odd stepchild rather than the culmination of decades of Black music programming.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Chris Warren, who plays Hayden Moss, has two children and one stepchild with his wife, Layla Warren.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
While Elon reportedly explored keeping Errol’s children and stepchildren with Bezuidenhout in California, and even becoming their legal guardian, the family chose to return to South Africa in 2003.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stepchild
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Leia Mendoza, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
After the network ended its popular music video countdown series 106 & Park in 2014, the Hip Hop Awards felt like BET's odd stepchild rather than the culmination of decades of Black music programming.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Chris Warren, who plays Hayden Moss, has two children and one stepchild with his wife, Layla Warren.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
While Elon reportedly explored keeping Errol’s children and stepchildren with Bezuidenhout in California, and even becoming their legal guardian, the family chose to return to South Africa in 2003.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stepchild
Cite this Entry
“Stepchild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepchild. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchīld
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
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