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:
On the night of Jan. 24, 1979, Jerry’s mother came home and found a note from her son and daughter-in-law.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
Newhan is survived by his wife, Connie; his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Karen; his daughter, Sara, and son-in-law, Mike; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
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
"Shannen, our daughter-in-law, was funny and was also an amazing mum and they thought the world of their little family."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Dofta Leila had always doted on her daughter-in-law, so much so that Dedd sometimes worried that Leila’s five daughters would resent her.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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
The women in the village passed on the craft to their daughters and daughters-in-law.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
Moore is survived by his sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
Mollie also made dozens of quilt blocks that her daughters and daughters-in-law would eventually assemble.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
Then after a time he went no more to see his sons, but sometimes he would ask Cuckoo, “And are my two daughters-in-law at peace after all these years?”
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
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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.
