half sister

noun

: a sister related through one parent only

Examples of half sister in a Sentence

Emily is my half sister.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The music is about grief in many forms, including the loss of her half sister Emily, who passed in June 2023. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 1 June 2026 Arthur’s scheming half sister, the enchantress Morgan le Fay, has buried the Round Table at an undisclosed location. — Nat Segnit, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 Folan is survived by sons Michael and Matthew; seven grandchildren; brother Harold Hamilton; and half sister Melinda Moon. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026 This tale follows three women — influential Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), and half sisters Agnes and Daisy — as the ruling theocratic regime crumbles. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for half sister

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of half sister was in the 13th century

Rhymes for half sister

See All Rhymes for half sister

Browse Nearby Words

half-silvered
half sister
half size
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Half sister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20sister. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

half sister

noun
: a sister by one parent only

More from Merriam-Webster on half sister

Nglish: Translation of half sister for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All