Definition

Noun A stepsister is a female who becomes one's sister through the marriage of one's parent to her parent, with whom one shares no biological parent. She is the daughter of one's stepparent from a previous relationship.

Examples

• My father married her mother, so she is my stepsister.
• I get along very well with my stepsister even though we just met two years ago.
• In the story, Cinderella is mistreated by her stepsisters.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used to specify a non-biological familial relationship created by marriage. It is distinct from a half-sister, who shares one biological parent.
• The relationship is legally recognized in many contexts, such as inheritance or family law, though the specifics can vary by jurisdiction.

Variants and Related Words

• Stepbrother (n): A male who becomes one's brother through the marriage of one's parent to his parent.
• Stepparent (n): A parent who is married to one's biological parent but is not one's biological parent.
• Stepfamily (n): A family where at least one parent has children from a previous relationship.
• Half-sister (n): A sister with whom one shares one biological parent.

Synonyms

• There is no direct single-word synonym that captures the specific marital origin of this relationship. Descriptive phrases like "sister by marriage" or "daughter of my stepparent" can be used.

Related Phrases

• Step-sibling (n): A gender-neutral term for a stepsister or stepbrother.
• Blended family (n): A family consisting of a couple and their children from current and previous relationships.

Noun

1. a sister who has only one parent in common with you