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
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.
While the ceremony itself remained private with reportedly just Anderson’s twin sister as a witness and brother-in-law as officiant, the absence underscored how closely the Trump family continues to be scrutinized even in personal milestones.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
Muldoon is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart; parents Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr, his sister and brother-in-law Shana and Ahmet Zappa, niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
Ahmad said that those were photos from a trip to see his brother-in-law, who was training at a U.S. military base.
From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026
The cause of death, the brother-in-law was told, was cardiac arrest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
“I’m impressed. I’ve got a brother-in-law went to Stanford. Big muckety-muck. Where is that again?”
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
