mother-in-law
noun
moth·er-in-law
ˈmə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 
ˈmət͟h-rən-,
ˈmə-t͟hərn-
plural mothers-in-law
ˈmə-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ
1
: the mother of one's spouse
2
archaic
: stepmother
Examples of mother-in-law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a post shared to Reddit, the woman writes that her mother-in-law is going overboard now that fall is near.
—
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
What’s impossible to accept is Cherry’s response to her would-be mother-in-law’s lies.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Particularly her new mother-in-law.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
My mother-in-law has briefed me on the situation many times, but the specifics still make my head swim.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
What’s impossible to accept is Cherry’s response to her would-be mother-in-law’s lies.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Particularly her new mother-in-law.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
My mother-in-law has briefed me on the situation many times, but the specifics still make my head swim.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
Cite this Entry
“Mother-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother-in-law. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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