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

The athlete also has five biological children and two stepchildren from previous relationships with Kia Proctor and LaReina Shaw. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2025

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

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