stepmother

American  

[step-muhth-er] / ˈstɛpˌmʌð ər /

noun

1. the wife, by a later marriage, of one's parent.

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stepmother British  

/ ˈstɛpˌmʌðə /

noun

1. a woman who has married one's father after the death or divorce of one's mother

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Other Word Forms

• stepmotherliness noun
• stepmotherly adverb

Etymology

Origin of stepmother

First recorded before 900; Middle English stepmoder, Old English stēopmōdor; step- + mother ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

He continued to have full parental responsibility for her and she was raised by her father and her stepmother.

From BBC

"If I was alone, I wouldn't be hiding my name. But now I'm a stepmother, part of a complex family structure, and I feel a sense of responsibility," she said.

From Barron's

His father and stepmother shared what they’d be passing down to him and other siblings in smaller meetings, outside of time to swim and play pickleball.

From The Wall Street Journal

My stepmother cheated me out of $500K from my father’s estate.

From MarketWatch

As a single parent living with her father, stepmother and brother, she said "you want to create security, but when your wages are unpredictable, everything feels uncertain".

From BBC