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:
At about 18:00, Foster, his father-in-law and son walked towards an elevator and was playing with his son, said his lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
I was going to meet Robert Blake, my likely future father-in-law, in the frozen foods aisle of Gelson’s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Unsubtly I say to my father-in-law, So how’s the cellphone reception in Tanzania?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
My father-in-law recently passed away, and my husband is the executor of his estate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
His father-in-law, who owned the Ilium School of Optometry, who had set Billy up in practice, was a genius in his field.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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
Even if it was not about us that you began to fight, you ought to cease now that you have become fathers-in-law, and grandfathers, and relatives one of another.
From Plutarch's Lives, Volume I by Aubrey Stewart
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