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:
This would require your brother-in-law or his wife to vocalize a different desire, which would be quite bold.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
It included Trump Jr.’s brother-in-law Jared Kushner, Eric Trump — and Kremlev, an imposing man with a shaved head who speaks limited English.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
When he called Nims's wife and brother-in-law to tell them the tragic news, he says they struggled to believe it.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“For Vivek, going there and seeing Kailash Mansarovar was like a life dream,” his brother-in-law, Gaurav Khare, said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Severo del Valle was obliged to use all his legal ingenuity to bring his brother-in-law back to life and the full rights of citizenship.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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
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
We asked readers who have wives, kids and brothers-in-law who root for opposing teams to tell us about their family rivalries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2021
We went, his mom pushing the wheelchair, sisters and brothers-in-law and dad and nephews and me trailing.
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.
