What does stepsister mean?
A stepsister is a woman who becomes a relative through marriage rather than through shared biological parents. She may be the daughter of a parent's previous spouse, or the daughter of a spouse's previous spouse. The word identifies the family connection itself and does not imply affection, closeness, or shared upbringing. Although the compound may sound similar to “half-sister,” the relationships are different: a half-sister shares one biological parent, while a stepsister is connected through marriage. In ordinary conversation, “stepsister” is commonly used with possessives such as “my stepsister” and “his stepsister.” The term is standard in British and American English and is often used when discussing blended families, remarriage, and relationships formed through a parent’s new marriage.
nounA stepsister is a daughter of one's parent's spouse from a previous marriage, or the daughter of one's spouse's previous spouse. She is related to the speaker through a marriage rather than through shared parents.
- A daughter of one's parent's spouse from a previous marriage, or the daughter of one's spouse's previous spouse.
"I grew up with my stepsister, although we did not become especially close until later in life."
"My stepsister lives in another city, but we speak every week."
"The novel explores the difficult relationship between two sisters whose parents married after their respective divorces."
The regular plural is “stepsisters,” used when referring to multiple women who are stepsisters of the same person.
"The two stepsisters grew up in different countries before meeting at their father's wedding."
A stepsister is family formed through the unexpected routes that marriage can take.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of stepsister
“Stepsister” is a compound formed from “step-” in its older family-relational sense, meaning connected through a marriage or a step-relationship, and “sister,” which comes from Old English sweostor and ultimately from a Germanic word for a female sibling. The compound developed in English during the period when “step-” became established for relationships formed through remarriage. It parallels forms such as “stepfather,” “stepmother,” “stepbrother,” and “stepchild,” all of which describe relatives connected through a spouse or parent’s spouse rather than through shared biological descent.
Related word forms
How stepsister is actually used
The term is neutral and commonly used in both British and American English. It describes a family relationship, not necessarily a close or affectionate relationship, and should not be used to imply that the person is a biological sibling.
Easily confused with stepsister
A half-sister shares one biological parent with the speaker, whereas a stepsister is related through a parent's or spouse's previous marriage.
A sister shares at least one biological parent with the speaker, while a stepsister is connected through a marriage.