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
Her father argued that if her mother-in-law was allowed to wear the shirt, then his wife should also be able to.
—
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Edgar Allan Poe, adopted son of a Virginian enslaver; Edgar Allan Poe, who managed the sale of a human being owned by his mother-in-law.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
At the time, a flustered Griffin blanched at the question and noted that her mother-in-law was in the studio audience.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Edgar Allan Poe, adopted son of a Virginian enslaver; Edgar Allan Poe, who managed the sale of a human being owned by his mother-in-law.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
At the time, a flustered Griffin blanched at the question and noted that her mother-in-law was in the studio audience.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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