Standard Lemma guide

stepchild

noun · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈstɛp.tʃaɪld/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T EH1 P CH AY2 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The child of one's spouse from a previous relationship.

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 bereaved child; one who has lost father or mother.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a child of your spouse by a former marriage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: child, kid

Narrower terms: stepdaughter, stepson

History

Etymology

From Middle English stepchild, stepchyld, from Old English stēopċild (“stepchild”), equivalent to step- + child. Compare Dutch stiefkind (“stepchild”), German Stiefkind (“stepchild”), Swedish styvbarn (“stepchild”).

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: thjeshtër — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Armenian: խորթ զավակ (xortʻ zavak) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Bulgarian: дове́дено дете́ (dovédeno deté) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Bulgarian: зава́рено дете́ (zaváreno deté) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Catalan: fillastre — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Catalan: fillastra — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Danish: stedbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Finnish: lapsipuoli — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • French: bel-enfant — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • French: beau-fils — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • French: belle-fille (stepdaughter) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • French: fillâtre — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Georgian: გერი (geri) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Georgian: არაღვიძლი შვილი (araɣviʒli švili) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • German: Stiefkind — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Greek: θετό τέκνο (thetó tékno) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Greek: πρόγονος (prógonos) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Pontic Greek: προγόνιν (progónin) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Hanunoo: anak ulong — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Hausa: agola — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Hungarian: mostohagyerek — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Hungarian: mostohagyermek — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Icelandic: stjúpbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Ido: stif-filio — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Indonesian: anak tiri — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Italian: stepchild — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Italian: configlio m~configlia — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Italian: figliastro m~figliastra — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Italian: privigno m~privigna — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Japanese: 継子 — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Japanese: 連れ子 — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Javanese: anak kuwalon — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Laz: პროღონი (p̌roğoni) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Latin: prīvignus — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Latin: prīvigna — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Macedonian: дове́деник (dovédenik) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Macedonian: по́синок (pósinok) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Middle English: stepchild — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Middle English: stepbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Old English: stēopċild — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Old English: stēopbearn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Plautdietsch: Steefkjint — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Polish: pasierb — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Polish: pasierbica — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Portuguese: enteado — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Russian: па́сынок (pásynok) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Russian: па́дчерица (pádčerica) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Russian: приёмная дочь (prijómnaja dočʹ) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Russian: приёмный сын (prijómnyj syn) — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Scottish Gaelic: dalta — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Sicilian: figghiastru — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Spanish: hijastro — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Spanish: hijastra — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Swedish: styvbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Swedish: plastbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Swedish: bonusbarn — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Tagalog: anak na pangaman — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Lower Tanana: -dena' nelanenh — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Turkish: üvey çocuk — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Turkish: üvey evlat — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Volapük: lucil — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Volapük: hilucil — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner
  • Volapük: jilucil — the child of one's spouse from his or her previous partner