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A half brother is a brother who is related to his sibling(s) through only one parent.

This typically means that they share only one biological parent (not both). For example, when a person’s parent has a son with another partner (who is not the person’s parent), the son is considered the person’s half brother.

The term half sister is used in the same way. Half-sibling is a gender-neutral way of saying the same thing.

In contrast, the words stepbrother, stepsister, and stepsibling refer to those who have a sibling relationship (often based on the remarriage of their parents to other partners) but who do not share a biological parent.

The word half in half brother and its related terms only refers to the biological relationship. Half brothers may have close relationships with their siblings, and many people simply call their half brother their brother.

Modifiers such as maternal and paternal are sometimes used to specify which biological parent the siblings have in common.

Example: Over the holidays, I got together with my maternal half brother and my paternal half sister and we had a great time.

The first records of the term half brother come from around the 1300s. The word half refers to the fact that a half brother shares one biological parent with a sibling, not two. Still, half brothers are considered blood relatives.

It’s not uncommon for people to have a half-sibling. This always involves one’s parent having a child with another partner. Circumstances vary, but such situations often involve the death of a parent, a separation, or a divorce.

What are some synonyms for half brother?

• half-sibling
• brother
• sibling

What are some words that share a root or word element with half brother?��

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• half
• brother
• half sister
• stepbrother

What are some words that often get used in discussing half brother?

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• share
• biological parent
• parent
• related
• blood
• family
• marriage
• divorce
• birth
• maternal
• paternal

What are some words half brother may be commonly confused with?

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• stepbrother

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People use terms like half brother and half sister to specify how siblings are related. A lot of people simply call their half brother their brother.

does anyone else with a half sibling hate the term half sibling or is it really just me. like it won’t ever feel right for me to call my brother my half brother

— harriet 📌 (@feministluthor)

I call my half brother’s half sister my sister because my dad raised her with us

— 👸🏻 (@lilstringbeans)

Kinda wild thinking how I was like 38 and my mom was like hey so I had a secret baby with your most hated classmates’ dad years before you were born and he’s your half brother, he’s coming to visit in a few days.

— RustBeltRants (@rustbeltrants)

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True or False?��

If a person’s mother and father got divorced and each had a son with another spouse, both of the sons would be considered this person’s half brothers.