stepfather

noun

step·​fa·​ther ˈstep-ˌfä-t͟hər How to pronounce stepfather (audio)
: the husband of one's parent when distinct from one's natural or legal father

Examples of stepfather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Raised in a musical household — his mother a singer, his stepfather a musician with a home studio — Thomas gravitated to drums and bass. Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025 Her stepfather moved to Italy during the trial and Knox’s imprisonment to be close to her and her legal team. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025 King Minos, conqueror of Athens and stepfather of the Minotaur, has traveled to Sicily in pursuit of Daedalus, his chief architect and erstwhile prisoner. Seamus Sullivan september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025 The 8-year-old leapt into the ring bearing a black practice sword and called his stepfather, Joe Deaton, to meet his challenge, as onlookers at the nonprofit Folsom Renaissance Faire looked on. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stepfather

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stepfather was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Stepfather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepfather. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

stepfather

noun
step·​fa·​ther ˈstep-ˌfät͟h-ər How to pronounce stepfather (audio)
: the husband of one's mother when distinct from one's natural or legal father

More from Merriam-Webster on stepfather

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