stepparent
nounEtymology From step- + parent.
1
One's parent's spouse who is not one's biological parent.
- The age at which a stepparent entered a child’s life, and whether they lived together and for how long, influences the quality of the relationship, studies show. […] As parents age, “there’s a lot of negotiation and uncertainties,” Dr. Silverstein said. “Who has the right to make decisions for stepparents becomes murky.”2024 March 8, Paula Span, “When Elder Care Is All in the Stepfamily”, in The New York Times:
- Derived terms
- ex-stepparent, stepparental, stepparenthood, stepparenting