half sister
One parent shared
A half sister shares one biological parent with you but not both—either the same mother or the same father.
The relationship is as old as blended families: My half sister and I have the same dad but different moms.
In casual speech, the "half" often drops away as relationships deepen.
Household joined by remarriage
- stepsiblingNon-biological brother or sister
- blended familyHousehold with steprelations
- remarriageWedding after divorce/widowhood
- second marriageUnion after prior dissolution
divorce · custody · stepparent · stepmother · stepfather · coparenting · shared custody · extended family
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- descentDownward slope or lineage
family tree · genetics · heredity · DNA · pedigree · progenitor · forebears · matrilineal
Brother or sister
- maternalOf or like mothers
- paternalOf or from father
- biologicalRelating to living organisms
- consanguinityRelatedness through shared ancestry
stepfamily
Household joined by remarriage
- stepsiblingNon-biological brother or sister
- blended familyHousehold with steprelations
- remarriageWedding after divorce/widowhood
second marriage · divorce · custody · stepparent · stepmother · stepfather · coparenting · shared custody · extended family · household
ancestry
Family line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
descent · family tree · genetics · heredity · DNA · pedigree · progenitor · forebears · matrilineal · patrilineal
sibling
Brother or sister
- maternalOf or like mothers
- paternalOf or from father
- biologicalRelating to living organisms
consanguinity · blood relation · uterine · blood bond · familial
- open compoundsice cream, hot dog, high school, post office, living room
half, sister, siblings, sisters, sisterly, sisterhood, stepbrother, stepsister, sister-in-law