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

Roberts played Heaton's overbearing mother-in-law on Everybody Loves Raymond for nine seasons, from 1995 to 2006, and her presence was definitely missed at the recent reunion of the surviving cast members to mark the show's 30th anniversary. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025

The poster said the contrast between that hurtful moment and her mother-in-law’s sudden enthusiasm for the pregnancy felt disingenuous. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

Carrozzini delivered an emotional keynote, thanking Wintour, who is his mother-in-law, and channeling his mother’s philosophy. —Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 24 Nov. 2025

My mother and mother-in-law made yeast rolls for holidays and when company came to visit. —Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mother-in-law

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

Kids Definition

mother-in-law

noun

moth·​er-in-law

ˈmət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ, 

ˈmət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ

plural mothers-in-law

ˈmət͟h-ər-zən-

: the mother of one's husband or wife