daughter-in-law
Americannoun
-
daughters-in-law
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of daughter-in-law
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English doughter in lawe; see origin at daughter, 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:
His protagonist is a writer who’s trying to build a relationship with his grandchild, Ben, while navigating the half-suppressed scorn of his daughter-in-law and the irritated complacency of his son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
"She was kind, generous and loving; a beloved mother, daughter, sister, auntie, daughter-in-law and friend," the 45-year-old's family said in a statement.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Billy and Jenny, my son and daughter-in-law, deserve their day in court."
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
She contacted him last year looking for a gift for her future daughter-in-law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Shoemaker had an Iowa connection–his daughter-in-law taught at the University of Iowa–and he was familiar with the Manson crater from his own studies.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
His grandad Michael, 65, started out in 1992 and, at various points over the years, has been joined by all five of his sons and two of his daughters-in-law.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2025
Moore is survived by his sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
Photos from their trips, along with smiling images of their sons, daughters-in-law and three granddaughters, adorn every square foot of their spacious two-bedroom apartment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2023
Nearby, a group of women discussed their sons and daughters-in-law in muffled voices inside the latticed hall of the gurudwara, some lying on the carpeted floor.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2022
Cousins, nephews, sons and daughters-in-law waited on the rest of the store, but Lee never left the cigar counter.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
