stepchild

/'steptʃaild/

Friendly

Word: Stepchild

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A stepchild is a child that your husband or wife has from a previous marriage or relationship. This means they are not your biological child, but they are part of your family because of your marriage.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "stepchild" when talking about family relationships, especially when describing a situation where someone has children from a previous relationship.
• It is often used in discussions about blended families, where two families come together.

Example Sentences:

1. "When Sarah married John, she became a stepmother to his two children, making them her stepchildren."
2. "Having a stepchild can sometimes be challenging, but it can also be very rewarding."

Advanced Usage:

• You might hear the term "stepchildren" to refer to more than one stepchild, which is the plural form.
• In legal terms, stepchildren might have different rights than biological children regarding inheritance or custody.

Word Variants:

• Step-parent: A parent who is married to a child's biological parent but is not the child's biological parent.
• Step-sibling: A brother or sister who is the child of a step-parent (not a biological sibling).

Different Meanings:

• The word "step" can also refer to a physical movement or stage in a process, but in "stepchild," it specifically pertains to the familial connection.

Synonyms:

• Stepson (for a male stepchild)
• Stepdaughter (for a female stepchild)
• Bonus child (a more informal term)

Idioms:

• There aren't specific idioms related to "stepchild," but "the black sheep of the family" can sometimes describe a stepchild who feels out of place.

Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren't specific phrasal verbs directly related to "stepchild," but you might hear phrases like "bring into the family" when referring to accepting a stepchild into a family.

Academic

Noun

1. a child of your spouse by a former marriage