stepfamily

noun

step·​fam·​i·​ly ˈstep-ˌfam-lē How to pronounce stepfamily (audio)
-ˌfa-mə-
: a family in which there is a stepparent

Examples of stepfamily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Things can get more complicated when the stepfamily forms as a result of divorce, which is now more common. Maria Godoy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024 Our stepmother, stepfamily, the narrator — all the languages within the characters inside this fairy tale. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 July 2023 But Bran doesn’t desire revenge against her stepfamily. New York Times, 17 May 2022 One of the oldest and most popular stories in history is that of Cinderella, which follows a beautiful young woman with a harsh stepfamily who falls in love with a prince. Okla Jones, Essence, 2 Nov. 2022 Here, the future-princess is a budding designer living in her stepfamily’s basement, dreaming of a career in couture. oregonlive, 24 Sep. 2021 In North Dakota, searching for their grandson and his new stepfamily, the Weboys, the Blackledges follow a trail of clues and small-town gossip that grows more and more ominous. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 4 Nov. 2020 In North Dakota, the Blackledges search for their grandson and his new stepfamily, the Weboys, following a trail of clues and small-town gossip that grows more and more ominous. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2020 In this new book, Rudy retells the classic Cinderella tale, putting a young mouse under the thumbs of a ratty stepfamily. oregonlive, 4 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stepfamily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stepfamily was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near stepfamily

Cite this Entry

“Stepfamily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepfamily. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!