# What do you understand the term half-sibling to mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637 "2013-07-04T15:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/1 "2013-07-04T15:10:46Z")
Please refrain from checking any rerference sources before answering. Poll in a moment. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/2 "2013-07-04T15:13:03Z")
Two people who share the same biological mother OR father, but not both. I’ve encountered several people who think it’s the same thing as a step-sibling, though. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/3 "2013-07-04T15:19:23Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Two people who share the same biological mother OR father, but not both. > > I’ve encountered several people who think it’s the same thing as a step-sibling, though. Thanks for validating my including the step-sibling bit in the poll! I’m currently avoiding an argument with someone who claims that half-siblings are persons who share the same father but not mother. Persons who have the same mother but different fathers, she claims, are whole siblings. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/4 "2013-07-04T15:24:47Z")
The “half” refers to sharing “half” the DNA (colloquially speaking). That half that the siblings share can come from mom or dad. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/5 "2013-07-04T15:25:18Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Thanks for validating my including the step-sibling bit in the poll! > > I’m currently avoiding an argument with someone who claims that half-siblings are persons who share the same father but not mother. Persons who have the same mother but different fathers, she claims, are whole siblings. Does she also think that all dogs are male and all cats are female? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/6 "2013-07-04T15:34:59Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’m currently avoiding an argument with someone who claims that half-siblings are persons who share the same father but not mother. Persons who have the same mother but different fathers, she claims, are whole siblings. I’ve know people who think of it like this (because people with half siblings are more likely to be raised with ones they share a mom with) but they wouldn’t argue that that’s the real meaning of it, just that it works out that way a lot. For me it probably would too. I consider my half-sister with the same mom to be just my sister, but the kids of the current and former wife of my dad I don’t really consider step-siblings and if he had bio children with another woman there’s a good chance I’d consider them half-siblings. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/7 "2013-07-04T15:37:11Z")
I don’t think this is off topic… do government programs, in general, that provide benefits to children via their parent(s) treat them any differently? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/8 "2013-07-04T15:57:14Z")
Having a family that’s been through several blends, I tend to admire Joel Rosenberg’s attitude: “We don’t use the half designation [here]. Blood of my blood and bone of my bone is not half of anything.” My second-favorite JR quote. RIP, Rosenverb. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/9 "2013-07-04T16:59:30Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’m currently avoiding an argument with someone who claims that half-siblings are persons who share the same father but not mother. Persons who have the same mother but different fathers, she claims, are whole siblings. I have read, more than once, that these definitions are common among African-Americans. Here’s an [old locked thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=43546) about it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/10 "2013-07-04T17:20:35Z")
Nitpick: it’s not genetics but legal parenthood that is in question here. Adoption changes everything. But, yeah, it’s option 1. Though, if the kids never see the other parent, I could see them considering themselves full siblings, and such a situation would be more common with single moms than single dads. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/11 "2013-07-04T19:03:32Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Does she also think that all dogs are male and all cats are female? Well, it is my crazy sister we’re talking about… > [@bibliophage](#): > > I have read, more than once, that these definitions are common among African-Americans. Here’s an [old locked thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=43546) about it. … and she is black. But then, so am I. The usage just seems silly to me. When I forgot Rule 9 (avoid pointless arguments) and asked her why she thought that way, she said it was the law, just as it’s the law that if you have one drop of black blood in you’re, you’re black. She then proceeded to go on a rant about racist white people, and I regretted my foolishess in not having liquor in the house. > [@BigT](#): > > Nitpick: it’s not genetics but legal parenthood that is in question here. Adoption changes everything. Wait, what? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/12 "2013-07-04T19:10:17Z")
Half-siblings “_share one but not both genetic parents; whether mother or father is irrelevant_”. Or, they are siblings that have run afoul of a chainsaw wielding maniac. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/13 "2013-07-04T19:16:14Z")
Well, crap. I had a serious brainfart. Just because I have a worthless-half-sister from the same mother, I chose that one. Dear Og. I feel like the correct answer is the first one, because I have half siblings from my father, as well. I am an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/14 "2013-07-04T19:23:25Z")
The _usage_ doesn’t seem silly to me - I expect relationships depend more on raising than blood, and if you were raised with a half-sibling, your relationship would be similar to that you have with your full siblings rather than the half-siblings you weren’t raised with. My husband has a brother and two half-sisters. He only refers to them as half-sisters when the context requires it, just like he only refers to all three of them as biological when the context requires it. He has the same relationship with all three and he wasn’t raised with any siblings with whom he might have had a different relationship. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/15 "2013-07-04T19:37:27Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Nitpick: it’s not genetics but legal parenthood that is in question here. Adoption changes everything. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Wait, what? Not sure what BigT is referring to, but my two daughters are adopted. They consider themselves full sisters, not half- or step- or anything-else-sisters. Were a half sibling to join the family, they’d still consider themselves full sisters, and the half-sibling a half-sibling. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/16 "2013-07-04T19:49:36Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Not sure what BigT is referring to, but my two daughters are adopted. They consider themselves full sisters, not half- or step- or anything-else-sisters. Were a half sibling to join the family, they’d still consider themselves full sisters, and the half-sibling a half-sibling. I’d don’t think anyone would use step- or half-sibling to describe an adopted child, as that wouldn’t make sense. If the non-biological parent officially adopted their partner’s child the they wouldn’t be a step- or half-sibling anymore. We never used used half-brother to describe my kids’ brother through their dad either. They were just brother and sisters. However, if you’re going to use half-sibling, what it describes is two siblings that share a single parent, mother or father. > [@BigT](#): > > Nitpick: it’s not genetics but legal parenthood that is in question here. Adoption changes everything. I know I mentioned the DNA bit, but it was to illustrate a derivation of the term, to help people who think it refers to only one parent, understand it. Adoption, of course, is just as equivalent as biological relationships. I don’t think anyone (here, except one poster I can think of) questions that. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/17 "2013-07-04T19:55:24Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I’d don’t think anyone would use step- or half-sibling to describe an adopted child, as that wouldn’t make sense. Actually I can see that one. I myself use “stepdaughter” to describe **Cinderella the Rhymer** , the half-sister of my (now deceased) son, even though I was never married to her mother and am no genetic relationship to her, because it’s just quicker. By contrast, Cinderella refers to my son simply as her brother, full stop. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/18 "2013-07-04T20:02:02Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Actually I can see that one. I myself use “stepdaughter” to describe **Cinderella the Rhymer** , the half-sister of my (now deceased) son, even though I was never married to her mother and am no genetic relationship to her, because it’s just quicker. By contrast, Cinderella refers to my son simply as her brother, full stop. But if you _adopted_ a child you’d not refer to her as a step daughter. That’s what I meant. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/19 "2013-07-04T20:14:37Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > But if you _adopted_ a child you’d not refer to her as a step daughter. That’s what I meant. If I’d been less of a putz twenty-five years ago and had married Cinderella’s mother, then she’d have been my stepdaughter; and if I had later adopted her legally–years later, say – I can imagine still calling her that simply from inertia. But your point is overall correct. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637/20 "2013-07-04T20:17:08Z")
Most lopsided poll results I think I’ve ever seen on The Dope. We are literally over 98% correct as a group here. And someone voted for the recipe so… heheh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-understand-the-term-half-sibling-to-mean/662637.md?page=2)