stiefbroers

Stiefbroer is a Dutch term for a male step-sibling. It refers to a brother who becomes part of a blended family through marriage or a long-term partnership, rather than through shared biological parentage.

In a situation where a parent remarries or enters into a new cohabiting relationship, the children from the other parent’s previous relationship become the step-siblings of the parent's biological children. A stiefbroer can be the son of one's stepparent from a prior relationship, or the brother of a parent’s new partner’s child who joins the household. The female equivalent is stiefzus.

Although step-siblings often live together or interact as part of the same family, they are not related by blood. Legal obligations such as inheritance or child support generally do not apply between step-siblings, though rules can vary by jurisdiction and family arrangements. Relationships among stiefbroers can range from very close to distant, influenced by factors such as age difference, timing of the remarriage, and the process of family integration.

Stiefbroer is a common term in Dutch-speaking regions and appears in everyday speech, media, and literature to describe blended-family scenarios. It is used neutrally and does not, by itself, imply a particular level of closeness, conflict, or affection.