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

Philip was accompanied by Prime Minister Alec and Elizabeth Douglas- Home, Harold Wilson (the leader of the opposition party), Lord Andrew Cavendish (Kick Kennedy’s brother-in-law), and his wife, Deborah. —Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026

Sorsby is also described as using third-party accounts not in his name, allegedly providing more than $60,000 to a friend between December 2023 and June 2025 to deposit in a FanDuel account registered to his brother-in-law. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 May 2026

At one point, Spaeny looked over to see her brother-in-law having a heart-to-heart with Melton’s dad. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026

The license also notes that Bettina's brother-in-law, real estate attorney Bradley McPherson, officiated the wedding. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brother-in-law

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

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