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

During a recent trip to the mother-in-law's house, the woman brought a bottle of breastmilk and placed it in the fridge. —Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 21 June 2025

But while economists track numbers that show the rise and fall of seniors or health workers around the state, Elizabeth Ramirez, a 58-year-old Ontario homemaker who takes care of her 90-year-old mother-in-law, focuses on just one number that matters a lot to her and her family: $14. —Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 20 June 2025

For Saturday’s Trooping the Colour event, the Princess of Wales turned to one of her late mother-in-law’s favorite designers for her attire. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 June 2025

Mom on Reddit expresses concerns about letting her mother-in-law take her 2-year old to the zoo. —Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 13 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mother-in-law

• avoirdupois
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada

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