in-law
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of in-law
First recorded in 1890–95; back formation from mother-in-law, brother-in-law, etc.
Explanation
An in-law is someone who is a relative because of marriage, like your husband's sister or your wife's father. You can refer to your spouse's entire family as your in-laws. In some countries, a married woman moves in with her in-laws, symbolically becoming part of their family. In the U.S. some families live with extended family members — a man may live with his wife, kids, and his mother- and father-in-law — but more often each individual nuclear family lives separately. In-law originally meant "anyone of a relationship not natural" or "not by blood."
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:
“We had made a decision that rather than long-term-care insurance, we had a house with an in-law suite,” Lanzoni said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Pregnancy for Hedda is as distasteful a matter as these in-law intrusions, but it’s clear that George didn’t spend his entire honeymoon in the library and that the marriage plot has got ahead of her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
The film was an instant comic classic, taking in-law anxiety to new heights.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026
The presence of the surly uncle, insufferable in-law, or grating girlfriend at the holiday table can make it hard to truly count one’s blessings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Judging from the layout, the second floor space had probably been designed as an in-law apartment meant for one or two people, but four of us found a way to fit inside.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
But if it doesn’t affect them, why do Lex’s in-laws care how many books are in their house?
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Her in-laws had a different reaction: “We were showing them the house, and they got more irritated with every room — like, ‘You have books in here too?’
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Brandon Oldenburg, 53, has taken on much of the responsibility of caring for his in-laws in part to help ensure his wife can keep doing her job.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
The couples' families were thrilled by the relationships - Taiwo Oguntoye recalls bonding with his in-laws instantly.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Dorothy, who grew up without grandparents, basked in the stability and warmth of the extended Vaughan family, but loving in-laws could provide only so much salve for a missing husband’s companionship.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
