mother-in-law

American  

[muhth-er-in-law] / ˈmʌð ər ɪnˌlɔ /

noun

plural

mothers-in-law

1. the mother of one's spouse.

---

mother-in-law British  

noun

1. the mother of one's wife or husband

---

Etymology

Origin of mother-in-law

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English moder in lawe; mother ¹ ( def. ), in ( def. ), law ¹ ( def. ); 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

His mother-in-law had the idea to add a fireplace to make the structure more cosy.

From BBC

‘I’m fed up’: My selfish mother-in-law has controlled me for 30 years.

From MarketWatch

When I politely told my 80-something mother-in-law that we would need to meet at the church for the service instead of going to her house early, she completely freaked out.

From MarketWatch

Depressed and unable to care for their newborn, he sent the baby across the floodwaters to live with his mother-in-law on another side of the state.

From Salon

My mother-in-law, 81, is guilting us into paying for her ‘bucket list’ trip to Italy.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• aunt
• cousin
• father
• folk
• mother
• niece
• sibling
• uncle