stepfather
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: step-father
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English stepfader, from Old English stēopfæder, from Proto-Germanic *steupafadēr (“stepfather”), equivalent to step- + father.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stäiffoar (“stepfather”), Dutch stiefvader (“stepfather”), German Low German Steevvader (“stepfather”), German Stiefvater (“stepfather”), Swedish styvfar (“stepfather”), Icelandic stjúpfaðir (“stepfather”).
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: step‧fa‧ther
Noun
stepfather (plural stepfathers)
- (in the narrow sense) The husband of one's biological mother after her initial marriage to or relationship with one's biological father.
- 1980, Gerald Ford, “Boyhood—and Beyond”, in A Time to Heal, New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 47:
- My stepfather loved me as much as he loved his own three sons. I knew how much he wanted to help me and how lacking in financial resources he was. Nothing could erase the image I gained of my real father that day: a carefree, well-to-do man who didn't really give a damn about the hopes and dreams of his firstborn son.
- (in the broad sense) The husband of one's parent distinct from one's biological father or person with a similar relationship.
- 1953, Cyril Dean Darlington, The Facts of Life, page 433:
- Telegony or Inheritance from the Stepfather
The earliest reference to telegony ( which has no connection with the son of Odysseus ) is supposed to be in 1665 but the classical case is that described in the Philosophical Transactions of […]
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Synonyms
- stepdad (informal)
- co-father
- father-in-law (dated)
Hypernyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
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Further reading
- “stepfather”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- “stepfather, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “stepfather”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “stepfather”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “stepfather” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.
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