brother-in-law
Americannoun
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the brother of one's spouse.
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the husband of one's sister or brother.
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the husband of one's spouse's sister or brother.
noun
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the brother of one's wife or husband
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the husband of one's sister
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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:
Grecia's body, located Thursday, was taken by her father to be cremated in Caracas, while Víctor awaited the remains of his nephews and brother-in-law.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Daniel Powers, Cancro’s brother-in-law, got around $30 million at that time, while Phillip Sivolobov, Cancro’s stepson, received total compensation of approximately $50 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
"Just as they found my nephew, I have faith that they are going to find my sister and my brother-in-law," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Word spread that Sillie’s missing brother-in-law had sent a cellphone text message: “We are trapped, help.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
When Toussaint L’Ouverture led a revolt of black Haitian slaves in 1801, Napoleon sent his brother-in-law, General Charles LeClerc, and a military force of approximately 29,000 to crush the rebels.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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
Mason is survived by his wife, Winifred Wilson, daughter Danielle, nephew John Leonard, niece Michelle Leonard and his brothers-in-law, Sloan Wilson and Walton Wilson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 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
I made my way to Gus’s parents in the living room and met his brothers-in-law, Chris and Dave.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Definitions 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.
