ENGLISH
REFERENCE

stepdaughter

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈstɛpˌdɔtɝ// UK //stˈɛpdɔːtɐ// step·daugh·ter

n. the daughter of your husband or wife. You are not her biological parent, but you are married to her parent.

n. the daughter of one's spouse. Refers to a child by marriage rather than by blood.


SIMPLE

She is a wonderful stepdaughter to her stepfather.

CONTEXTUAL

After the wedding, the two families spent the weekend getting to know each other, including the new stepdaughter.

COMPLEX

The legal relationship between a stepdaughter and her stepparent is often formalised through adoption or shared household responsibilities, though it lacks the biological connection of a traditional parent-child bond.

Origin

From Middle English stepdoughter, stepdoghter, steopdohter, from Old English stēopdohtor (“stepdaughter”), from Proto-Germanic *steupaduhtēr (“stepdaughter”), equivalent to step- + daughter. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stäifdochter (“stepdaughter”), West Frisian styfdochter (“stepdaughter”), Dutch stiefdochter (“stepdaughter”), German Low German Steevdochter (“stepdaughter”), German Stieftochter (“stepdaughter”), Danish steddatter (“stepdaughter”), Swedish styvdotter (“stepdaughter”), Icelandic stjúpdóttir (“stepdaughter”).

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