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
F. R. SmithExamples of stepchild in a Sentence
The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Harris also lobbed antisemitic slurs at the adult child and stepchild of Victim No. 1 and his wife, court documents say.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
William Coddington was at the wheel with his partner, Alicia Ramos, at his side and their two children and his two stepchildren in back.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild 
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024
William Coddington was at the wheel with his partner, Alicia Ramos, at his side and their two children and his two stepchildren in back.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stepchild
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stepchild.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Stepchild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepchild. Accessed 30 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stepchild
noun
step·child
ˈstep-ˌchīld
: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner
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