father-in-law
Americannoun
plural
fathers-in-lawnoun
Etymology
Origin of father-in-law
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fader in lawe; 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.
John scored quarter-zip sweaters for himself and his father-in-law, and his wife splurged on a tweed jacket for Christmas Day.
From Los Angeles Times
He was mourned by his father-in-law as a person beloved by the community.
From BBC
My friend had had just rewatched the video on her phone after spending eight hours at the hospital with her father-in-law who was in the midst of a frightening health event.
From Los Angeles Times
I have questions: What type of policy did your father-in-law have?
From MarketWatch
He consulted his father-in-law, a naturalist, who broke the news to him: “Ladybugs are like cockroaches, but with better presentation.”
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.
