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
Sophie Turner stars as Anne, who is living with her mother-in-law, Morwen (a fiery Marcia Gay Harden), while her husband is at war.
—
William Earl, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Most recently, the monarch donned the Celtic Knot brooch for a visit to one of London's most famous liveries in what amounted to a touching tribute to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
For years, the watch was rumored to have been a gift from her mother-in-law, Jackie Kennedy.
—Julia Rabinowitsch, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026
The Facebook post from the police said preliminary information found that Douglas Morrow shot Dawn Morrow, his wife, and Lindwedel, his mother-in-law, before killing himself.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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William Earl, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Most recently, the monarch donned the Celtic Knot brooch for a visit to one of London's most famous liveries in what amounted to a touching tribute to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
For years, the watch was rumored to have been a gift from her mother-in-law, Jackie Kennedy.
—Julia Rabinowitsch, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026
The Facebook post from the police said preliminary information found that Douglas Morrow shot Dawn Morrow, his wife, and Lindwedel, his mother-in-law, before killing himself.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
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 2 Mar. 2026.
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