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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Not related by blood 🧪 Not from living things
nonbiological

nonbiological

1 5.8
A person who is not related by birth, for example an adopted or step family member
  • adjective
  • /ˌnɒnˈbaɪəˌlɒdʒɪkəl/
translation icon : no biológico
  • In Study 1, the comparison was between fathers with biological sons and fathers with nonbiological sons.
  • nonbiological partner
  • nonbiological son
  • nonbiological parent

Examples

  • Specifically, fathers tend not to be as affectionate with nonbiological sons as they are with biological sons.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The situation of nonbiological same-sex partners is most similar to that of stepparents in heterosexual marriages.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Same-sex couples with children need to protect the rights of the nonbiological parent.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Third, the culture of the parent and child may differ, such as when a child is multiracial, adopted, or raised by nonbiological parents.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Collectively, those findings add to our knowledge about communication in both biological and nonbiological father-son relationships.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Nonbiological same-sex partners can most easily be compared with stepparents in heterosexual marriages.

    Academic text (2003)

  • In Study 1, we tested the hypothesis, derived from AET, that fathers communicate more affection to biological sons than to nonbiological sons.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The failure to recognize same-sex marriage and to allow adoption by nonbiological life partners results in a harmful lack of legal protections for children of gay parents.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Lack of legal protections for the nonbiological partner includes custody and visitation privileges, consent to emergency medical treatment, and permission to attend parent-teacher conferences.

    Academic text (2003)

  • In many families, love is just as strong between biological and nonbiological parents.

Synonyms

unrelated
vsnonbiological
94 3.5

Not connected to the topic or cause

is limited to absence of biological or genetic ties
nongenetic
vsnonbiological
  • Specialized
1 6.5

Not caused by genes but by things like the environment or experience

is about absence of biological family ties rather than genetic causation
nonrelative
vsnonbiological
5.6

Not connected to a person's family

is broader, denying biological connection beyond family ties
non-related
vsnonbiological
3.5

Not connected to the main topic or activity

applies specifically to lack of biological or birth relations
abiological
vsnonbiological
  • Specialized
9.3

Not made by or connected to living things

focuses on lack of kinship or genetics rather than origin from life

Antonyms

biological
157 4.5

Related by blood rather than by adoption or marriage

How Biological

biological
157 4.5
nonbiological
1 5.8

Surface Forms

nonbiological positive

Morphology

nonbiological = biological (transparent) = non + biology + ical

The adjective 'biological' is straightforwardly negated by the productive prefix 'non-', producing the expected meaning 'not biological'.

Etymology

Nonbiological breaks into non- meaning 'not' and bio meaning 'life', the same root as biography ('a life story'). So nonbiological means 'not related by birth or genetics', like an adopted or step family member who is loved as a true relative.