mother-in-law

[muhth -er-in-law]

See more synonyms for mother-in-law on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural moth·ers-in-law.

the mother of one's husband or wife.

Origin of mother-in-law

1350–1400; Middle English modyr in lawe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mother-in-law

Contemporary Examples

Rosalind Seysses, my mother-in-law, has been a longtime model, mentor, and support.
Yes, Women Can Make Great Wine
Jordan Salcito
March 22, 2014
Her mother-in-law was injured and had to seek medical attention.
Her Husband Shot This 17-Year-Old Afghan Girl In The Face—And She Lived
Nina Strochlic
March 21, 2014
He laundered money into Swiss banks and used his mother-in-law and her sister to traffic cash into the country.
The Real Wolf of Wall Street: Jordan Belfort’s Vulgar Memoirs
Jimmy So
December 20, 2013
My mother-in-law used to watch the show anyway, so she got a giggle out of the idea.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Carlton Gebbia Really Practices Witchcraft
Erin Cunningham
October 23, 2013
And in the 2010 comedy Grown Ups, Chris Rock plays a stay-at-home father who is mercilessly emasculated by his own mother-in-law.
Pop Culture’s House Husbands Lag Behind the Reality in American Homes
Soraya Roberts
June 18, 2013

Historical Examples

His mother-in-law had always lived with him, and she was "difficult."
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
That woman, I am quite sure and confident, will be our mother-in-law.'
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
In other homes the daughter-in-law serves her mother-in-law.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
I am but mother-in-law to them,' she said, 'having not been married yet full two years.
Bunyan
James Anthony Froude
But God blessed Ruth much more than Orpah, because she loved her mother-in-law.
Things as They Are
Amy Wilson-Carmichael

British Dictionary definitions for mother-in-law

mother-in-law

noun plural mothers-in-law

the mother of one's wife or husband

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mother-in-law

n.

mid-15c., "mother of one's spouse," from mother (n.1) + in-law. Also in early use, "stepmother." In British slang c.1884, mother-in-law was "a mixture of ales old and bitter."

mother-in-law

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}mother-in-law

Examples from the Web for mother-in-law

Contemporary Examples

Rosalind Seysses, my mother-in-law, has been a longtime model, mentor, and support.

Her mother-in-law was injured and had to seek medical attention.

He laundered money into Swiss banks and used his mother-in-law and her sister to traffic cash into the country.

My mother-in-law used to watch the show anyway, so she got a giggle out of the idea.

And in the 2010 comedy Grown Ups, Chris Rock plays a stay-at-home father who is mercilessly emasculated by his own mother-in-law.

Historical Examples

His mother-in-law had always lived with him, and she was "difficult."

That woman, I am quite sure and confident, will be our mother-in-law.'

In other homes the daughter-in-law serves her mother-in-law.

I am but mother-in-law to them,' she said, 'having not been married yet full two years.

But God blessed Ruth much more than Orpah, because she loved her mother-in-law.

mother-in-law

Word Origin and History for mother-in-law

n.

Origin of mother-in-law