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A half sister is a sister who is related to her 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 daughter with another partner (who is not the person’s parent), the daughter is considered the person’s half sister.

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

In contrast, the words stepsister, stepbrother, 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 sister and its related terms only refers to the biological relationship. Half sisters may have close relationships with their siblings, and many people simply call their half sister their sister.

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 sister and my paternal half brother and we had a great time.

The first records of the term half sister come from the 1100s. The word half refers to the fact that a half sister shares one biological parent with a sibling, not two. Still, half sister 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 sister?

• half-sibling
• sister
• sibling

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

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• half
• sister
• half brother
• stepsister

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

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

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

• stepsister

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

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

— 👸🏻 (@lilstringbeans)

Recently got in contact with my half sister, still can’t believe I have a chance to be an older sister🥺💕

— DeeDee (@Debbie_Debsss)

Half or full blood regardless I call them my brothers/ sisters. The term half sister has always felt weird to say

— Samantha (@heavensleche)

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True or False?��

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