in-law
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of in-law
First recorded in 1890–95; back formation from mother-in-law, brother-in-law, etc.
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.
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
There’s also a lower-level lounge, media room, wine cellar, an in-law suite, and a home gym.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025
Sarraj reunited with other relatives, too, and said he learned of the deaths of an in-law, an uncle, a friend, his grandfather and a cousin, as well as the destruction of his home.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 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
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.
