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

Examples of stepchild in a Sentence

The school has long been the forgotten stepchild of the state university system.

Recent Examples on the Web

At a press conference in early September, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said exceptions will be made for adopting children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China, up to the third degree of kinship. —Maya Cederlund, NBC News, 18 Oct. 2024

The only exceptions will be for foreigners adopting the children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024

For the record, Harris has two stepchildren with her husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 25 July 2024

She is survived by four children, three stepchildren, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. —Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

stepchild

noun

step·​child ˈstep-ˌchīld 

: a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner