Meaning & use
a stepbrother
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A boy or man whose parent has married one of your parents, but who is not your biological brother.
Grammar: Countable noun: use 'a stepbrother' for one, 'stepbrothers' for more than one.
Patterns
- someone's stepbrother
- a stepbrother of someone
My mom married David last year, so his son is now my stepbrother.
I have two stepbrothers and one biological sister.
He introduced me to his stepbrother at the family dinner.
Word forms
| plural | stepbrothers |
|---|
Common combinations
- my stepbrother
- My stepbrother is coming to visit next weekend.
- become stepbrothers
- After our parents married, we became stepbrothers.
- older stepbrother
- Her older stepbrother taught her how to ride a bike.
Synonyms and how they differ
- half-brother
- Use 'half-brother' when you share one biological parent; a stepbrother shares no biological parent, only a stepparent.
- foster brother
- A foster brother lives with you as part of a fostering arrangement, not because of a parent's marriage.
Word family
- stepsister noun
- A girl or woman in the same situation as a stepbrother.
- stepfather noun
- The man who marries your mother.
- stepmother noun
- The woman who marries your father.
Commonly confused: a stepbrother or stepbrother vs. half-brother?
a stepbrother vs stepbrother vs. half-brother
A stepbrother is related through marriage only; a half-brother shares one biological parent with you.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'stepbrother' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A stepbrother is the son of a parent's new spouse, so option 0 fits. Option 1 describes a half-brother, option 2 an uncle, and option 3 a first cousin once removed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a stepbrother”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.