Definition of "stepchild" [step•child]

• A child of one's spouse by a previous union. (noun)
• Something that does not receive appropriate care, respect, or attention: "Demography has a reputation for being the stepchild of . . . economics” ( Louis Pol). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "'Stepchild' reputation Tomaro Bell, who represents the MacGregor neighborhood and serves as vice president of the Super Neighborhood Alliance that brings together community leaders from across the city, also used the phrase "stepchild" in describing Inspections and Public Service."
• "If the stepson/stepdaughter of the householder has been legally adopted by the householder, the child is still classified as a stepchild."
• "If the stepson/stepdaughter of the household has been legally adopted by the householder, the child is still classified as a stepchild."