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father-in-law
[ fah-ther-in-law ]
/ ˈfɑ ðər ɪnˌlɔ /
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noun, plural fa·thers-in-law.
the father of one's spouse.
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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
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
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
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