mother-in-law

noun

moth·​er-in-law ˈmə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ How to pronounce mother-in-law (audio)
ˈmət͟h-rən-,
ˈmə-t͟hərn-
plural mothers-in-law ˈmə-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ How to pronounce mother-in-law (audio)
1
: the mother of one's spouse
2
archaic : stepmother

Examples of mother-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once when told that a certain French fortress was impregnable and once when told that his mother-in-law had died. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 25 Mar. 2024 Rosenthal recalled accompanying her mother-in-law to the symphony and to yoga. Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024 Turning the other cheek when her mother-in-law, for the fifty thousandth time, sneaks her children candy with red dye in it, though she’s been clear red dye is off limits. Megan Angelo, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Dear Carolyn: My mother-in-law is on oxygen, is wobbly on her feet, can’t hear or see very well, and is understandably forgetful. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Berkeley said his 99-year-old mother-in-law was born in the front house and plans to leave it to her grandchildren. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Along with the emotional footage from the day, Ashley also featured old images of her mom and mother-in-law including a shot of her mom holding Luke as a newborn while being pregnant with her. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 The plan was to build a larger home in its place with an accessory dwelling unit for his mother-in-law. Byalena Botros, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Streep came on the show that season as the mother-in-law of one of the main characters. Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mother-in-law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mother-in-law was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near 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 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mother-in-law

noun
moth·​er-in-law
ˈmət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ,
ˈmət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ
plural mothers-in-law
ˈmət͟h-ər-zən-
: the mother of one's husband or wife

More from Merriam-Webster on mother-in-law

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