mother-in-law

American  

[muhth-er-in-law] / ˈmʌð ər ɪnˌlɔ /

noun

plural

mothers-in-law

1. the mother of one's spouse.

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mother-in-law British  

noun

1. the mother of one's wife or husband

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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

My mother-in-law passed away earlier this year and left her California home to her two sons: my husband and his brother.

From MarketWatch

While Nicola has continued to publicly praise her family on social media, it was recently reported that she had removed a post congratulating her mother-in-law on her 50th birthday from her profile.

From BBC

However, she later told the Times that after some chats about the dress over text, her mother-in-law to be had realised her atelier could not finish it in time.

From BBC

She later told the Times that her mother-in-law had realised her atelier could not finish it in time, denying claims of a feud.

From BBC

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

From BBC

Related Words

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