Phrase guide

foster child

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A child in foster care; a child in one's foster care, in relation to oneself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a child who is raised by foster parents

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: foster-child, fosterling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: child, kid, youngster, minor, shaver, nipper, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, fry, nestling

Narrower terms: foster-daughter, foster daughter, foster-son, foster son

History

Etymology

Inherited from Old English fōstorċild.

Across languages

Translations

60 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սան (san) — child in foster care
  • Azerbaijani: oğulluq — child in foster care
  • Azerbaijani: qızlıq — child in foster care
  • Azerbaijani: övladlıq — child in foster care
  • Bulgarian: питомец (pitomec) — child in foster care
  • Bulgarian: храненик (hranenik) — child in foster care
  • Chinese Mandarin: 養子 /养子 (yǎngzǐ) — child in foster care
  • Chinese Mandarin: 養女 /养女 (yǎngnǚ) — child in foster care
  • Chinese Mandarin: 被收養人 /被收养人 (bèishōuyǎngrén) — child in foster care
  • Danish: plejebarn — child in foster care
  • Dutch: pleegkind — child in foster care
  • Finnish: kasvattilapsi — child in foster care
  • French: enfant adoptif — child in foster care
  • French: enfant adoptive — child in foster care
  • Georgian: ნაშვილები ბავშვი (našvilebi bavšvi) — child in foster care
  • Georgian: ნაშვილები (našvilebi) — child in foster care
  • Georgian: აყვანილი შვილი (aq̇vanili švili) — child in foster care
  • Georgian: შვილობილი (švilobili) — child in foster care
  • German: Pflegekind — child in foster care
  • Ancient Greek: τρόφιμος (tróphimos) — child in foster care
  • Hungarian: fogadott — child in foster care
  • Hungarian: nevelt gyermek — child in foster care
  • Irish: dalta — child in foster care
  • Irish: páiste altrama — child in foster care
  • Old Irish: daltae — child in foster care
  • Italian: figlio adottivo — child in foster care
  • Latin: alumnus — child in foster care
  • Latin: alumna — child in foster care
  • Macedonian: хра́неник (hránenik) — child in foster care
  • Māori: tamaiti whāngai — child in foster care
  • Māori: tamaiti taurima — child in foster care
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fosterbarn — child in foster care
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pleiebarn — child in foster care
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fosterbarn — child in foster care
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pleiebarn — child in foster care
  • Old English: fōsterbearn — child in foster care
  • Old English: fōsterċild — child in foster care
  • Old English: fōstorling — child in foster care
  • Old English: fōstorċild — child in foster care
  • Polish: wychowanek — child in foster care
  • Polish: wychowanka — child in foster care
  • Polish: wychowaniec — child in foster care
  • Polish: wychowanica — child in foster care
  • Romanian: copil adoptiv — child in foster care
  • Russian: приёмный ребёнок (prijómnyj rebjónok) — child in foster care
  • Russian: приёмыш (prijómyš) — child in foster care
  • Scottish Gaelic: dalta — child in foster care
  • Lower Sorbian: pśiwzete góle — child in foster care
  • Spanish: niño en acogimiento — child in foster care
  • Spanish: niño en adopción temporánea — child in foster care
  • Spanish: niño adoptado temporáneamente — child in foster care
  • Spanish: hijo adoptivo temporáneo — child in foster care
  • Swedish: fosterbarn — child in foster care
  • Tagalog: ampon — child in foster care
  • Tagalog: anak-anakan — child in foster care
  • Turkish: evlatlık — child in foster care
  • Turkish: yetiştirme yurdu çocuğu — child in foster care
  • Ukrainian: годо́ванець (hodóvanecʹ) — child in foster care
  • Ukrainian: ви́хова́нець (výxovánecʹ) — child in foster care
  • Ukrainian: ви́хова́нка (výxovánka) — child in foster care