brother-in-law

[bruhth -er-in-law]

See more synonyms for brother-in-law on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural broth·ers-in-law.

the brother of one's husband or wife.
the husband of one's sister.
the husband of one's wife's or husband's sister.

Origin of brother-in-law

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for brother-in-law

Contemporary Examples

In the video, Solange smacks and kicks her brother-in-law while Beyonce DOESN'T EVEN FLINCH.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year
Amy Zimmerman
December 24, 2014
Seven days after receiving the letter from Navarro, Abidogun had yet to break the “bad news” to his brother-in-law and his nephew.
Ebola Racism Reaches a New Low in Texas
Abby Haglage
October 15, 2014
Her mother, brother, and nephew—and her brother-in-law did it, too.
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago’s Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber
Marlow Stern
September 25, 2014
Then he put his acting career on hold for two years to make a gonzo mockumentary with his brother-in-law, Joaquin Phoenix.
Casey Affleck, Star of ‘Out of the Furnace,’ on His Hollywood Struggles
Marlow Stern
December 2, 2013
My brother-in-law suggested that I email a photo to them, and the rest is history.
Celebrating Sikh Style
Soraya Roberts
October 3, 2013

Historical Examples

I suppose he'll be a little more fastidious, as the brother-in-law of Shepler.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He cut off my brother-in-law's leg—charged him as much as if he had grown a new one for him.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Mrs. MacDermott almost shouted the words at her brother-in-law.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine
And, moreover, his wife was in charge of his brother-in-law.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
He looked dubiously at his brother-in-law, but he did not ask him for information.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for brother-in-law

brother-in-law

noun plural brothers-in-law

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brother-in-law

n.

c.1300; also brother in law; see brother. In Arabic, Urdu, Swahili, etc., brother-in-law, when addressed to a male who is not a brother-in-law, is an extreme insult, with implications of "I slept with your sister."

brother-in-law

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}brother-in-law

Examples from the Web for brother-in-law

Contemporary Examples

In the video, Solange smacks and kicks her brother-in-law while Beyonce DOESN'T EVEN FLINCH.

Seven days after receiving the letter from Navarro, Abidogun had yet to break the “bad news” to his brother-in-law and his nephew.

Her mother, brother, and nephew—and her brother-in-law did it, too.

Then he put his acting career on hold for two years to make a gonzo mockumentary with his brother-in-law, Joaquin Phoenix.

My brother-in-law suggested that I email a photo to them, and the rest is history.

Historical Examples

I suppose he'll be a little more fastidious, as the brother-in-law of Shepler.

He cut off my brother-in-law's leg—charged him as much as if he had grown a new one for him.

Mrs. MacDermott almost shouted the words at her brother-in-law.

And, moreover, his wife was in charge of his brother-in-law.

He looked dubiously at his brother-in-law, but he did not ask him for information.

brother-in-law

Word Origin and History for brother-in-law

n.

Origin of brother-in-law