brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ How to pronounce brother-in-law (audio)
ˈbrət͟h-rən-,
ˈbrə-t͟hərn-
plural brothers-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hərz-ən- How to pronounce brother-in-law (audio)
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 Ortiz, along with his mother, sister and brother-in-law, run the truck on the back patio of the taproom. Deanna Taylor, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 During her first 24 hours trying to find a foothold in Albuquerque’s moody fringes, Jackie sleeps with JJ (Dave Franco), Lou’s repellent brother-in-law, for a job, and then Lou herself for reasons the film leaves deliberately vague. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Miller's new husband, Aric Hutchinson, his brother-in-law and his nephew suffered major injuries in the two-vehicle crash, court documents show. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Wilcox first had the chance to write professionally when his brother-in-law Marc Merson, then a casting director at CBS, got him an interview for the kids show Captain Kangaroo. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Ray turns out to be the mastermind behind it all: Her brother-in-law set Zyair up for murder as revenge for the artist sleeping with his wife. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Bob Breitenstein sold the bar to McClelland and his brother-in-law Johnathan Griffiths in December after more than 20 years. Allison Dikanovic, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 Ford’s brother-in-law also stayed with him in the flat. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Alexander’s husband and brother-in-law ran a crew that specialized in robbing check-cashing businesses by cutting holes in the roof and rappelling down from the ceiling, Blacknell said. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brother-in-law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brother-in-law was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near brother-in-law

Cite this Entry

“Brother-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brother-in-law. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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 husband or wife
2
: the husband of one's sister

More from Merriam-Webster on brother-in-law

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