love child

noun

plural love children

1

: a child whose parents were not married when the child was conceived

especially : the child of an affair

My older sister, Jean Marie, was the love child of an affair my mother had with a married man who, instead of leaving his wife for my mother, died of a heart attack.

—William Skeans, Jr.

—often used figuratively

A pair of furry Ugg slides that are basically a love child of your comfiest slippers and practical summer sandals.

—Kaysey Davis

2

: something (such as a project or collaboration) that is a product of hard work and devotion

The museum is the love child of the company's owner, Jacques Lorch, who for twenty-five years has been ferreting out artifacts pertaining to the subject that is his passion.

—Naomi Barry

Synonyms

• by-blow [dated]
• whoreson [archaic]

Examples of love child in a Sentence

the love child of a famous actor and one of his fans

a woman who claimed to be the love child of two of Hollywood's most beloved stars during its golden age

Recent Examples on the Web

So this never happens: Aritzia, the cool-girl brand that’s sort of like a love child between Zara and Reformation, is holding a sitewide sale with deals up to 50% off. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 2 Dec. 2024

And for a little bit of extra spice, a lot is going on in the life of John and Jamie’s love child, William (Charles Vandervaart). —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024

Duell’s character — a love child intertwining the rival Quartermaine and Corinthos families — was born onscreen in 1997 and was at the center of a heated custody battle since birth. —Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024

There are so many stories here of people who love God, love their neighbors, and love children around the world. —Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1