sister-in-law

noun

sis·​ter-in-law ˈsi-st(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ 

-tərn-ˌlȯ

plural sisters-in-law ˈsi-stər-zən-ˌlȯ 

1

: the sister of one's spouse

2

a

: the wife of one's sibling

b

: the wife of one's spouse's sibling

Examples of sister-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The only person who can relate to me is my own sister-in-law. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 12 June 2025

One was shared by Carlos, Emily and their son; the other by his parents, two brothers, sister-in-law and niece. —Allison McCann, New York Times, 11 June 2025

Wong had parked his car on the street after dropping off his two daughters, wife, and sister-in-law at a party in the area, according to a GoFundMe page created to help cover funeral costs and family expenses. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 4 June 2025

Mu-jin gets some office help from his sister-in-law Hee-joo, played by Seol In-A (Business Proposal, Celebrity, Twinkling Watermelon). —Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sister-in-law

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

Kids Definition

sister-in-law

noun

sis·​ter-in-law

ˈsis-t(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ,

-tərn-ˌlȯ

plural sisters-in-law

-tər-zən-

1

: the sister of one's spouse

2

a

: the wife of one's sibling

b

: the wife of one's spouse's sibling