Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A child of one's spouse by a previous union.
  • noun Something that does not receive appropriate care, respect, or attention.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The child of one's husband or wife by a former marriage.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A bereaved child; one who has lost father or mother.
  • noun A son or daughter of one's wife or husband by a former marriage.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A stepson or stepdaughter
  • noun The family role (responsibilities and behavioural standards) of a stepchild.
  • noun obsolete A bereaved child; one who has lost father or mother.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a child of your spouse by a former marriage

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

step- +‎ child

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Examples

  • 'Stepchild' reputation Tomaro Bell, who represents the MacGregor neighborhood and serves as vice president of the Super Neighborhood Alliance that brings together community leaders from across the city, also used the phrase "stepchild" in describing Inspections and Public Service.

    chron.com Chronicle 2011

  • If the stepson/stepdaughter of the householder has been legally adopted by the householder, the child is still classified as a stepchild.

    The Population of the United States Douglas L. Anderton 1997

  • If the stepson/stepdaughter of the household has been legally adopted by the householder, the child is still classified as a stepchild.

    The Population of the United States Douglas L. Anderton 1997

  • And very briefly Hagar explained to her what she knew, saying that Hester had told her of two young children, but she had forgotten entirely of their existence, and now that she was reminded of it she could not help fancying that Hester said the stepchild was a boy.

    Maggie Miller Mary Jane Holmes 1866

  • A: Unless a stepchild is a beneficiary named in a will, he or she does not inherit any of a stepparent's property.

    Victoria Advocate stories: Latest News 2010

  • Philadelphia's Sheldon Brown has always felt like the red headed stepchild, which is why story, Brown said his agent, Jason Chayut had been told to deal with Andrew Brandt, hired temporarily by the Eagles this offseason to deal with salary-cap matters.

    JSOnline.com 2009

  • Encountering bomb threats, vicious protest signs and chants, Lady Bird Johnson made the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the centerpiece of her stump speech as she made a whistlestop tour of southern states during LBJ's campaign that year, declaring that racism hurt not only blacks but whites and that without full integration, the South would always be seen as a "stepchild" by the rest of the nation.

    Carl Sferrazza Anthony: Michelle Obama, First Ladies and African-American History 2009

  • I too am a "stepchild" and learned from my aunt that I was not part of her family in a similar way.

    The Stepchild kittenpie 2006

  • The Bush administration, as a whole, he said, did not seem to care enough about natural disasters and had relegated natural disasters to a "stepchild" of national security.

    Hullabaloo 2006

  • The Bush administration, as a whole, he said, did not seem to care enough about natural disasters and had relegated natural disasters to a "stepchild" of national security.

    Hullabaloo 2006

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