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:
Mary Beth Lynn, her daughter-in-law and a travel adviser, says the trip made a difference for Julia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
That’s because, in March, my wife and I bought an L.A. condo where we’ll move after downsizing and selling our New Jersey house to be closer to our two grown sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
“During my year long journey, I have discovered how cruel, evil and greedy a human can be,” she wrote, seemingly alluding to the legal battle but not naming her daughter-in-law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will comment on the possibility of the King meeting his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, describing it as a private family matter.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
It is the voice I hear even now when my mother addresses her son- or daughter-in-law.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
In the chaos of the departure, Lomikovska became separated from her son and two daughters-in-law, including one, Olha Lomikovska, injured by shrapnel days earlier.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
Moore is survived by his sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
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
Listening to my sons and daughters-in-law, I realize they share a lot of my foreboding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2022
Her daughters-in-law loved her, too, and she returned the feeling.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
