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

Examples of stepchild in a Sentence

The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier in November, a Broward man and his girlfriend were accused of leaving his three stepchildren inside a Jeep while the couple gambled inside the casino. — Bri Buckley, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026

Treyton was killed, while Amber and four other passengers (her fiancée and three stepchildren) were injured. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026

But while Woodward was a dedicated mother to her daughters and her three stepchildren, she’s been candid about how hard juggling her kids and her career had been. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026

Jones also had 10 grandchildren and three stepchildren, per The New York Times. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for stepchild

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

Kids Definition

stepchild

noun

step·​child ˈstep-ˌchīld 

: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner