half sister

noun

1. sister.

half-sister

noun

1. the daughter of either of one's parents by another partner

Word History and Origins

Origin of half sister¹

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

Example Sentences

Tina's half-sister Lorraine Howard said the way Tina was buried in plastic in her own home "sends shivers down my spine every time I think about it".

From BBC

Joshlin grew up in a corrugated iron structure located in Middelpos informal settlement with her mother, her mother's partner, her brother and younger half-sister.

From BBC

When Egyptologists were searching for the initial tomb, they found a posthumous inscription that indicated the content could have been moved to a second location nearby, by Thutmose II's wife and half-sister Hatsheput.

From BBC

He told the Guardian that he would spend some of the money - said to be a significant six-figure amount - on a trip to Australia to see his half-sister for the first time since 1990.

From BBC

A US judge has dismissed a defamation case brought against the Duchess of Sussex by her half-sister.

From BBC

When To Use

What does half sister mean?

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.