brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 

ˈbrət͟h-rən-, 

ˈbrə-t͟hərn-

plural brothers-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hərz-ən- 

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

a

: the husband of one's sibling

b

: the husband of one's spouse's sibling

Examples of brother-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the caption of the post, Holly comments on her brother-in-law's parenting skills. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025

To my surprise, the spoon bread ended up being the hit of the night, with my brother-in-law asking me to make it for any future gatherings. —Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2025

Romero and her children are American citizens, but her brother-in-law, Edmundo Esparza, and 19-year-old nephew, Fidel Cordero, are not. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Nov. 2025

However, her brother-in-law is hestitant. —Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brother-in-law

• avoirdupois
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada

Kids Definition

brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ, 

ˈbrət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ

plural brothers-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-ər-zən-

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

: the husband of one's sibling or of one's spouse's sibling