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

After recovering from physical injuries sustained in the TikTok Live, Hilton was transferred to an inpatient psychiatric facility, his brother-in-law reported on Hilton’s podcast in late August. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Martine Singer has spoken out nine months after the deaths of her sister Michele and brother-in-law Rob Reiner. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026

Marcia Velencia came from the Boston area with her sons and her brother-in-law. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026

Day trading took off, and the platforms’ chat rooms became clearinghouses for stock tips and rumors, replacing the old hot tip from your brother-in-law’s cousin whose best friend worked at the company. — Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Sep. 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