father-in-law
Americannoun
-
fathers-in-law
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of father-in-law
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fader in lawe; see origin at father, 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:
I would not rule out reaching out for third-party help, if you suspect your father-in-law was an unwitting participant.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
My 81-year-old father-in-law sold the family home in July for $75,000.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Matt gave 6-year-old Jacob to his brother-in-law to seek cover at a hotel and went searching for his father-in-law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
He was inspired to do this after his own father-in-law, who had developed Alzheimer's, had to go into a nursing home.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Aureliano, pale, mysterious, continued playing dominoes with his father-in-law.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Fathers, fathers-in-law, and brothers of current Royals players and staff travel with the group.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
Each of the sons’ fathers-in-law also had accounts at the bank worth millions of dollars, as did other businessmen linked to the Mubaraks, whom Egyptian authorities tried on corruption charges.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2022
About 35 to 40 percent of Purush Spandana will be purchased by women, who hope that by casually leaving a copy around the house, their husbands, fathers-in-law or sons may give it a glance.
From New York Times ● Nov. 12, 2012
And Paul finally realizes that his office/apartment/mole cave of blurry boundaries, provocative teenagers and angry fathers-in-law from exotic complicated countries, does not, right now, feel like the best place to raise a 12-year-old.
From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2010
Have yu' ever noticed a joke about fathers-in-law?
From The Virginian, a Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister
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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.
