father-in-law
noun
ˈfä-t͟hə-rən-ˌlȯ 
-t͟hərn-ˌlȯ
plural fathers-in-law
ˈfä-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ
1
: the father of one's spouse
2
archaic
: stepfather
Examples of father-in-law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 11 days since his father-in-law’s death have been difficult.
—
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
The husband shared that his late father-in-law had been the family’s driver and caretaker, even taking his wife to and from work every day.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Suharto, who is also the current leader’s father-in-law, came to power following brutal bloodletting in 1965 in which at least half a million people alleged to be communists were killed, and critics point to widespread reports of torture and forced disappearances through to his overthrow in 1998.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Lisa Rewald and Kenneth Kondrat talked about Raymond Wojtowicz — Rewald’s father and Kondrat’s father-in-law — who joined the Army at 18, dropping out of high school to enlist and, near the end of the war, ending up in Germany.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
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Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
The husband shared that his late father-in-law had been the family’s driver and caretaker, even taking his wife to and from work every day.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Suharto, who is also the current leader’s father-in-law, came to power following brutal bloodletting in 1965 in which at least half a million people alleged to be communists were killed, and critics point to widespread reports of torture and forced disappearances through to his overthrow in 1998.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Lisa Rewald and Kenneth Kondrat talked about Raymond Wojtowicz — Rewald’s father and Kondrat’s father-in-law — who joined the Army at 18, dropping out of high school to enlist and, near the end of the war, ending up in Germany.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father-in-law
Cite this Entry
“Father-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father-in-law. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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