father-in-law
Americannoun
noun
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.
My wife and I borrowed money for a down payment from my father-in-law, for our first house, and he told me that it was a gift.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
He has visited with the president on numerous occasions and his father-in-law, Ronald Lauder, is a longtime friend of Trump.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
"I have a Henry Moore, which I'm very proud of that Kirk, my father-in-law, gave Michael and I for one of our joint birthdays, and we love it very much."
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
Warsh’s father-in-law is Ron Lauder, a longtime friend of Trump’s.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
If Lavinia was to be won Aeneas could not count on any help from his future father-in-law.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
