brother-in-law
Americannoun
-
brothers-in-law
plural
-
the brother of one's spouse.
-
the husband of one's sister or brother.
-
the husband of one's spouse's sister or brother.
noun
-
the brother of one's wife or husband
-
the husband of one's sister
-
the husband of the sister of one's husband or wife
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of brother-in-law
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English brother in law(e); see origin at brother, in, law 1; from Middle English in-lawe “in law,” i.e., “a person within the regulation and protection of the law,” based on the prohibition by Roman civil law and, later, Christian canon law, of marriages within four degrees of consanguinity, i.e., up to and including first cousins
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It has been a difficult few months for the King, with developments surrounding his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the publication of a book by his former brother-in-law, Earl Spencer.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
He used the word temporary twice in one sentence, which is also how a brother-in-law would describe his stay on your couch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Alfozan’s lawyers said in court the military official was the wife’s brother-in-law and he did not use military funds to buy the ticket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Mignon’s sister Nelly and brother-in-law Ernst fled to New York City soon afterward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Milton, realizing that his brother-in-law had nowhere to go, was content to follow him to the water.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
During the Civil War her brother George was a surgeon at a Confederate hospital, while three half-brothers and four brothers-in-law all supported the Confederacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
“Do you know what forces us to get in there?” said Margara Sanchez, whose brothers-in-law, uncles and cousins work at the mine.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
Urfan's Pakistan-based family have taken Jhelum police to court twice, accusing them of detaining several of Urfan's brothers and brothers-in-law illegally.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2023
While he was incarcerated, Theodora divorced him; she and their seven kids moved in with one of his brothers-in-law.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023
One of my brothers-in-law was a roofing foreman.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
