stepfather

step·fa·ther
S1T1E1P3F4A1T1H4E1R1

noun

The husband of one's biological mother after her initial marriage to or relationship with one's biological father.

Less commonScrabble 18

Meanings

nounstepfather (plural stepfathers)

plural stepfathers · alternative step-father

  1. The husband of one's biological mother after her initial marriage to or relationship with one's biological father.
    1 more example

    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.

    1980, Gerald Ford, “Boyhood—and Beyond”, in A Time to Heal, New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 47
  2. The husband of one's parent distinct from one's biological father or person with a similar relationship.

    In suboptimal cases the gynaecologist takes sperm from anonymous donors. In this case the husband can only be stepfather of the child.

    2015, Werner A. Mueller, Monika Hassel, Maura Grealy, Development and Reproduction in Humans and Animal Model Species, Springer, →ISBN, page 188, column 2
    1 more example

    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[…]

    1953, Cyril Dean Darlington, The Facts of Life, page 433

Synonyms & antonyms

Broader
Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*steupafadēr“stepfather”
  2. Old Englishstēopfæder
  3. Middle Englishstepfader
  4. Englishstepfather

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”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πατρυιός
  • πατρυιός (patruiós)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Arabic زَوْجُ ٱلْأُمّ, أَب رَبِيب
  • زَوْجُ ٱلْأُمّ (zawju l-ʔumm)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • أَب رَبِيب (ʔab rabīb)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Basque aitaorde
  • aitaordehusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Bulgarian вто́ри баща́, дове́ден баща́
  • вто́ри баща́ (vtóri baštá)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • дове́ден баща́ (dovéden baštá)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • пастро́к (pastrók)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Catalan padrastre
  • padrastrehusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Chinese Mandarin 繼父 /继父
  • 繼父 /继父 (jìfù)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Czech nevlastní otec, otčím
  • nevlastní otechusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • otčímhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Danish stedfar, bonusfar
  • stedfarhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • bonusfarhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Dutch stiefvader
  • stiefvaderhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Esperanto vicpatro, duonpatro
  • vicpatrohusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • duonpatrohusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Estonian kasuisa
  • kasuisahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Finnish isäpuoli
  • isäpuolihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
French beau-père, parâtre
  • beau-pèrehusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • parâtrehusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
German Stiefvater, Stiefelternteil
  • Stiefvaterhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • Stiefelternteilhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Greek πατριός, θετός πατήρ
  • πατριός (patriós)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • θετός πατήρ (thetós patír)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • θετός πατέρας (thetós patéras)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Hebrew אׇב חׂרֵג \ אב חורג
  • אׇב חׂרֵג \ אב חורג (av khorég)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Hindi सौतेला बाप
  • सौतेला बाप (sautelā bāp)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Hungarian mostohaapa
  • mostohaapahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Icelandic stjúpfaðir, stjúpi
  • stjúpfaðirhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • stjúpihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Indonesian ayah tiri, bapak tiri
  • ayah tirihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • bapak tirihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Irish leasathair
  • leasathairhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Italian patrigno
  • patrignohusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Japanese 継父
  • 継父husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Korean 계부, 새아버지
  • 계부 (gyebu)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • 새아버지 (saeabeoji)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • 의붓아버지 (uibusabeoji)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Latin vītricus, patraster
  • vītricushusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • patrasterhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • novercushusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Latvian patēvs
  • patēvshusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Lithuanian patėvis
  • patėvishusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Māori pāpā whakaangi, matua whakaangi
  • pāpā whakaangihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • matua whakaangihusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • mātua kēhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Norwegian Bokmål stefar
  • stefarhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Persian ناپدری, پدندر
  • ناپدری (nâpedari)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • پدندر (pedandar)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Polish ojczym
  • ojczymhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Portuguese padrasto
  • padrastohusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Romanian tată vitreg
  • tată vitreghusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Russian о́тчим, приёмный оте́ц
  • о́тчим (ótčim)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • приёмный оте́ц (prijómnyj otéc)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Scottish Gaelic oide, leas-athair
  • oidehusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • leas-athairhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Slovak nevlastný otec, otčim
  • nevlastný otechusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • otčimhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Spanish padrastro
  • padrastrohusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Swedish styvfar, styvpappa
  • styvfarhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • styvpappahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • bonuspappahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • plastpappahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Tagalog amang-panguman
  • amang-pangumanhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Turkish üvey baba
  • üvey babahusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Ukrainian вітчи́м
  • вітчи́м (vitčým)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Vietnamese bố dượng, cha kế
  • bố dượnghusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
  • cha kếhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Welsh llystad
  • llystadhusband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Yiddish שטיפֿטאַטע
  • שטיפֿטאַטע (shtiftate)husband of one's biological mother, other than one's biological father
Cite this entry
APA

stepfather. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepfather

MLA

“stepfather.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepfather. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stepfather,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepfather.

Source: stepfather on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.