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

Several of Jana’s family were in attendance for the big event, including Jessa Duggar Seewald, Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jordyn Duggar and sister-in-law Abbie Duggar. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025

My sister-in-law, like me, appreciates basically all desserts, and my niece can quickly judge any dish with an instant thumbs up or a sudden shift of the plate away from her seat. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2025

Thankfully, Swifties in the crowd captured video of the pop star sitting in an Arrowhead Stadium suite alongside future sister-in-law Kylie Kelce and her daughters. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 Dec. 2025

His sister-in-law also spoke on behalf of the Beam family. —Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

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