Definition of "stepparent" [step•par•ent]

• A stepfather or stepmother. (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.

• "Children of a stepparent from a previous marriage are "les enfants du premier lit" ou "du second lit" depending on the speaker's relation to the said children."
• "According to one survey, nearly half of all children in stepparent families will see their parents divorce again by the time they reach their late teens."
• "According to McLanahan's research, children in stepparent families report lower educational aspirations on the part of their parents and lower levels of parental involvement with schoolwork."