father-in-law
noun
ˈfä-t͟hə-rən-ˌlȯ 
-t͟hərn-ˌlȯ
plural fathers-in-law
ˈfä-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ
1
: the father of one's spouse
2
archaic
: stepfather
Examples of father-in-law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Johnson started working in the Alliance Bank Center’s food court in 1996, at his father-in-law Pino Lipari’s sandwich shop The Nectary, and Johnson opened Skyway Grill there in 2014.
—
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Chris Pratt received a unique Christmas gift from his father-in-law.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
New court documents identify London as Turner’s father-in-law.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Nicola shared photos from her dad Nelson's 83rd birthday celebration, which featured a group photo with her husband, who also wished his father-in-law a happy birthday on Instagram Stories.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father-in-law
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Chris Pratt received a unique Christmas gift from his father-in-law.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
New court documents identify London as Turner’s father-in-law.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Nicola shared photos from her dad Nelson's 83rd birthday celebration, which featured a group photo with her husband, who also wished his father-in-law a happy birthday on Instagram Stories.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father-in-law
Cite this Entry
“Father-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father-in-law. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
