brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 

ˈbrət͟h-rən-,

ˈbrə-t͟hərn-

plural brothers-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hərz-ən- 

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

a

: the husband of one's sibling

b

: the husband of one's spouse's sibling

Examples of brother-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That includes Negga as the wounded wife; Gyllenhaal’s real-life brother-in-law, Peter Sarsgaard, as the prosecutor, Tommy Molto, champing at the bit to convict Rusty; and Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan, the former boss who agrees to defend him. —Brian Lowry, CNN, 11 June 2024

My brother-in-law isn’t the only person who is emotionally affected by the closure of this fan-favorite chain. —Dasia Williams, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2024

Murray denied the rumors and said that the images did not show Peniche with her brother-in-law or with multiple men. —Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024

As his brother-in-law, Vincent Reyes, talked over the phone about an upcoming business trip, prosecutors said Bobila fired his semi-automatic pistol six times. —Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 6 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ,

ˈbrət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ

plural brothers-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-ər-zən-

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

: the husband of one's sibling or of one's spouse's sibling