mother-in-law
noun
moth·er-in-law
ˈmə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 
ˈmət͟h-rən-,
ˈmə-t͟hərn-
plural mothers-in-law
ˈmə-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ
1
: the mother of one's spouse
2
archaic
: stepmother
Examples of mother-in-law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Reader Vicki Casey from Huntersville, North Carolina, shared this lovely recipe created by her thrifty mother-in-law that uses the juice leftover from canned pineapple to make a beautiful pie.
—
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
The cast is expected to include Meryl Streep (who, coincidentally, is Ronson’s mother-in-law; the musician is married to Streep’s daughter Grace Gummer), Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
My mother-in-law drives me bonkers.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Kate has had tons of tiara moments since marrying Prince William in 2011 and has made Queen Mary's Lover's Knot a favorite like her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
The cast is expected to include Meryl Streep (who, coincidentally, is Ronson’s mother-in-law; the musician is married to Streep’s daughter Grace Gummer), Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
My mother-in-law drives me bonkers.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Kate has had tons of tiara moments since marrying Prince William in 2011 and has made Queen Mary's Lover's Knot a favorite like her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
Cite this Entry
“Mother-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother-in-law. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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