noun
stepfather
STEP-fah-ther/ˈstepfɑːðər/
A mother's husband who is not her child's biological father.
Her stepfather joins her mother and her during the family outing.
Etymology
Step-, presumed originally to suggest loss, combined with father to describe someone becoming a father to an orphan. The orphanage association faded, leaving the relationship created by marriage to a parent.
In context
Even with two children, she could still marry into a good family because of her looks. However, a stepfather is never as good as a biological father
More examples
- He became her stepfather when he married her mother.
- She asked her stepfather to help repair the bicycle.
- Their stepfathers attended the school event.
Forms
stepfather · stepfathers