Dictionary.com

father-in-law

[ fah-ther-in-law ]
/ ˈfɑ ðər ÉȘnˌlɔ /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for father-in-law on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural fa·thers-in-law.
the father of one's spouse.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as

candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of father-in-law

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fader in lawe; see origin at father, in, law1; 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

Words nearby father-in-law

Father Christmas, father confessor, father figure, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, fatherhood, father-in-law, fatherland, father lasher, fatherless, fatherly, father of his country
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to father-in-law

aunt, cousin, father, folk, mother, niece, sibling, uncle, agnate, blood, brother-in-law, cognate, connection, grandparents, in-laws, kin, kinswoman, mother-in-law, nephew, relation

How to use father-in-law in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for father-in-law

father-in-law
noun plural fathers-in-law
the father of one's wife or husband
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
FEEDBACK