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
More than a month after a man was charged in the killings of his wife and her mother, California police say a body found in an estuary has been identified as his mother-in-law.
—
Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
Prince William may have recently raised a glass with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother-in-law and husband carried her on their shoulders, stumbling between tents in the pitch-black night, somehow managing to avoid shelling, airstrikes, and stray dogs.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
For the mother-in-law, who seemingly has everything, an upgrade to her morning coffee routine is a simple yet thoughtful gesture.
—Bethany Braun-Silva, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Carranza reportedly lived with his wife and mother-in-law about half a mile from the park, the outlet reported.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024
Several amendments to the code have since been adopted, including one that allows the construction of accessory dwelling units — also called mother-in-law suites — by right, eliminating a months-long public hearing process.
—The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Aside from her husband, Christopher Nolan, their children and her mother-in-law, Oscar-winning producer Emma Thomas gave a shout-out to only one other person by name when accepting the Academy Award for best picture for Oppenheimer.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
Nor did her parents, Galvan’s father-in-law and mother-in-law.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024
Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
Prince William may have recently raised a glass with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother-in-law and husband carried her on their shoulders, stumbling between tents in the pitch-black night, somehow managing to avoid shelling, airstrikes, and stray dogs.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
For the mother-in-law, who seemingly has everything, an upgrade to her morning coffee routine is a simple yet thoughtful gesture.
—Bethany Braun-Silva, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Carranza reportedly lived with his wife and mother-in-law about half a mile from the park, the outlet reported.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024
Several amendments to the code have since been adopted, including one that allows the construction of accessory dwelling units — also called mother-in-law suites — by right, eliminating a months-long public hearing process.
—The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Aside from her husband, Christopher Nolan, their children and her mother-in-law, Oscar-winning producer Emma Thomas gave a shout-out to only one other person by name when accepting the Academy Award for best picture for Oppenheimer.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
Nor did her parents, Galvan’s father-in-law and mother-in-law.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 29 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.
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 26 Apr. 2024.
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