# stepchild

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #76,362

## Definitions
1. The child of one's spouse from a previous relationship.
2. A bereaved child; one who has lost father or mother.

## 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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stepchild