stepchild

(-c̸hīld′)

noun pl. stepchildren

  1. a child that one's husband or wife had by a former marriage
  2. someone or something regarded as unpopular, neglected, etc.

Origin: ME < OE steopcild: see step- & child

See stepchild in American Heritage Dictionary 4

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

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