sister-in-law

noun

sis·​ter-in-law ˈsi-st(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ 

-tərn-ˌlȯ

plural sisters-in-law ˈsi-stər-zən-ˌlȯ 

1

: the sister of one's spouse

2

a

: the wife of one's sibling

b

: the wife of one's spouse's sibling

Examples of sister-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Every couple handles these differently, and the time to sort it out is before your sister-in-law shows up with a suitcase. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026

In 2012, Tucci married Blunt’s sister Felicity (a literary agent), making the actress his sister-in-law. — Ayana Herndon, InStyle, 30 July 2026

Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law, former manager, and now the executor of her estate, confirmed to Vanity Fair that the lack of a Cinderella album was a great heartbreak of Houston’s career. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Nolan’s The Odyssey doesn’t show how Helen, wife of Sparta’s King Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and sister-in-law to Mycenae’s King Agamemnon (Benny Safdie), was taken from Sparta to Troy; that’s the Iliad’s problem. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sister-in-law

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

Kids Definition

sister-in-law

noun

sis·​ter-in-law

ˈsis-t(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ, 

-tərn-ˌlȯ

plural sisters-in-law

-tər-zən-

1

: the sister of one's spouse

2

a

: the wife of one's sibling

b

: the wife of one's spouse's sibling