foster child

noun

A child in foster care; a child in one's foster care, in relation to oneself.

Similar
foster-childfosterling
OriginOld English fōstorċild →
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Meanings

nounfoster child (plural foster children)

plural foster children

  1. A child in foster care; a child in one's foster care, in relation to oneself.

    Another hopeful broad-gauge prospect was the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. It was fostered by the Great Western but the authority of the parent over its foster-child rapidly disappeared.

    1959 December, John Alves, “Resorts for Railfans - 29: Oxford”, in Trains Illustrated, page 596

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna child who is raised by foster parents

Similar
foster-childfosterling
Broader
childkidyoungster
Also see
fosterling

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishfōstorċild
  2. Englishfoster child

Inherited from Old English fōstorċild.

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek τρόφιμος
  • τρόφιμος (tróphimos)child in foster care
Bulgarian питомец, храненик
  • питомец (pitomec)child in foster care
  • храненик (hranenik)child in foster care
Chinese Mandarin 養子 /养子, 養女 /养女
  • 養子 /养子 (yǎngzǐ)child in foster care
  • 養女 /养女 (yǎngnǚ)child in foster care
  • 被收養人 /被收养人 (bèishōuyǎngrén)child in foster care
Danish plejebarn
  • plejebarnchild in foster care
Dutch pleegkind
  • pleegkindchild in foster care
Finnish kasvattilapsi
  • kasvattilapsichild in foster care
French enfant adoptif, enfant adoptive
  • enfant adoptifchild in foster care
  • enfant adoptivechild in foster care
German Pflegekind
  • Pflegekindchild in foster care
Hungarian fogadott, nevelt gyermek
  • fogadottchild in foster care
  • nevelt gyermekchild in foster care
Irish dalta, páiste altrama
  • daltachild in foster care
  • páiste altramachild in foster care
Italian figlio adottivo
  • figlio adottivochild in foster care
Latin alumnus, alumna
  • alumnuschild in foster care
  • alumnachild in foster care
Māori tamaiti whāngai, tamaiti taurima
  • tamaiti whāngaichild in foster care
  • tamaiti taurimachild in foster care
Norwegian Bokmål fosterbarn, pleiebarn
  • fosterbarnchild in foster care
  • pleiebarnchild in foster care
Polish wychowanek, wychowanka
  • wychowanekchild in foster care
  • wychowankachild in foster care
  • wychowaniecchild in foster care
  • wychowanicachild in foster care
Romanian copil adoptiv
  • copil adoptivchild in foster care
Russian приёмный ребёнок, приёмыш
  • приёмный ребёнок (prijómnyj rebjónok)child in foster care
  • приёмыш (prijómyš)child in foster care
Scottish Gaelic dalta
  • daltachild in foster care
Spanish niño en acogimiento, niño en adopción temporánea
  • niño en acogimientochild in foster care
  • niño en adopción temporáneachild in foster care
  • niño adoptado temporáneamentechild in foster care
  • hijo adoptivo temporáneochild in foster care
Swedish fosterbarn
  • fosterbarnchild in foster care
Tagalog ampon, anak-anakan
  • amponchild in foster care
  • anak-anakanchild in foster care
Turkish evlatlık, yetiştirme yurdu çocuğu
  • evlatlıkchild in foster care
  • yetiştirme yurdu çocuğuchild in foster care
Ukrainian годо́ванець, ви́хова́нець
  • годо́ванець (hodóvanecʹ)child in foster care
  • ви́хова́нець (výxovánecʹ)child in foster care
  • ви́хова́нка (výxovánka)child in foster care
Cite this entry
APA

foster child. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foster%20child

MLA

“foster child.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foster%20child. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foster child,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foster%20child.

Source: foster child on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.