also: けいぼ
Refers to a woman who is married to one's father but is not one's biological mother. The reading ままはは is standard; けいぼ is a rare literary alternative.
She is my stepmother.
My relationship with my stepmother is complicated.
継母 describes a stepmother in relation to her stepchildren, whereas 後妻 describes a woman's status as a man's second wife.
Standard kanji spelling for the common reading ままはは.
Rare Sino-Japanese reading; mostly encountered in formal or literary contexts.
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
The kanji 継 means 'inherit' or 'succeed', reflecting the idea of a woman who takes over the role of mother. The reading ままはは is a native Japanese compound of まま (step-) and はは (mother).