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
My younger son's wife, however, never calls her father-in-law or his wife.
—
Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2026
Caroline Ban, of Chesterton, was listening to the speeches with her father-in-law Dan Ban, who was visiting from Minneapolis, and her 10-year-old son Teddy.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
In Chalker’s telling, Ejection offered the woman condolences about her father-in-law’s assassination by Mossad.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
My father-in-law called me and was like, everybody is talking about you at the Stop & Shop.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father-in-law
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Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2026
Caroline Ban, of Chesterton, was listening to the speeches with her father-in-law Dan Ban, who was visiting from Minneapolis, and her 10-year-old son Teddy.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
In Chalker’s telling, Ejection offered the woman condolences about her father-in-law’s assassination by Mossad.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
My father-in-law called me and was like, everybody is talking about you at the Stop & Shop.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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