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
While Akerman interviewed her mother-in-law during Saturday’s show, Wickham jokingly ripped off Akerman’s skirt, referencing the iconic move.
—
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 12 May 2024
Divorcee Emma, in the midst of planning her daughter’s wedding, has to deal with her daughter’s future mother-in-law from hell.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024
Although the first three episodes are already out, the series culminates with an episode on Sunday, May 12, with Camila Alves McConaughey and her mother-in-law, Kay McConaughey, covering the journey Camila and Kay went on to get to where their relationship is now.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Or, in our case, a ceramic made by my late mother-in-law.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2024
The pale pink silk velvet curtains add a luxurious, slightly Old Hollywood touch, and the nineteenth-century Ziegler rug, a gift from my mother-in-law, adds just the right dose of English chic.
—Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
While there is no beach at this residence, my mother-in-law saw that as a selling point for this specific location.
—Hannah Seligson, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
For example, Queen Nefertiti, once thought to be Tutankhamun’s birth mother, was actually his stepmother, as well as his mother-in-law.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024
Her mother-in-law in Britain sent some money, and Ms. Truiett-Theodorson was grateful their home in Baltimore had no mortgage.
—Caitlin Kelly, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 12 May 2024
Divorcee Emma, in the midst of planning her daughter’s wedding, has to deal with her daughter’s future mother-in-law from hell.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024
Although the first three episodes are already out, the series culminates with an episode on Sunday, May 12, with Camila Alves McConaughey and her mother-in-law, Kay McConaughey, covering the journey Camila and Kay went on to get to where their relationship is now.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Or, in our case, a ceramic made by my late mother-in-law.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2024
The pale pink silk velvet curtains add a luxurious, slightly Old Hollywood touch, and the nineteenth-century Ziegler rug, a gift from my mother-in-law, adds just the right dose of English chic.
—Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
While there is no beach at this residence, my mother-in-law saw that as a selling point for this specific location.
—Hannah Seligson, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
For example, Queen Nefertiti, once thought to be Tutankhamun’s birth mother, was actually his stepmother, as well as his mother-in-law.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024
Her mother-in-law in Britain sent some money, and Ms. Truiett-Theodorson was grateful their home in Baltimore had no mortgage.
—Caitlin Kelly, New York Times, 27 Apr. 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 17 May. 2024.
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