stepmother

noun

step·​moth·​er ˈstep-ˌmə-t͟hər 

: the wife of one's parent when distinct from one's natural or legal mother

Examples of stepmother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even King Charles' own children follow suit, and Prince William has often been seen bowing to greet his father and stepmother. —Stephanie Petit, People.com, 20 June 2025

He was accompanied by his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla. —Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

Ralph stayed with the show until its sixth and final season in 1989, before finding a new generation of fans playing stepmother and high school principal to Brandy Norwood on Moesha, which ran on UPN from 1996 to 2001 and earned Ralph five NAACP Image Award nominations. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2025

My Catholic stepmother and her disdain for Jewish people—including and especially my Jewish mother—loomed over my childhood. —Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stepmother

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• brother
• mother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther

Kids Definition

stepmother

noun

step·​moth·​er -ˌmət͟h-ər 

: the wife of one's father when distinct from one's natural or legal mother