Meanings
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1
noun
The man who is married to your mother but is not your biological father.
My stepfather has looked after me since I was five.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Word family
Forms
stepfathers
Derived forms
ex-stepfatherstepfatherhoodstepfatherly
Related forms
stepauntstepbrotherstepchildstepdaughterstepfamilystepfather-in-lawstepmotherstepnephewstepniecestepsisterstepsonstepuncle
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”).
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