mother-in-law
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mother-in-law
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English moder in lawe; see origin at 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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Re: Mother-in-law: I fully support Carolyn’s suggestion to unfollow your mother-in-law.
From Washington Post • Jan. 17, 2022
Q. Mother-in-law wants a thank-you card: My mother-in-law has been sending my husband text messages asking whether her thank-you card was lost in the mail.
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2020
Mother-in-law majorly overstepped the boundaries when she joined grandchildren’s PTA.
From Seattle Times • May 24, 2018
Mother-in-law Elizabeth Antonopoulos carried her in a sling for much of the front nine, and she barely cried.
From Chicago Tribune • Apr. 9, 2011
When he had finished his meal he handed the empty bowl to the chieftain's wife, saying, "Mother-in-law, here is your dish!"
From Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa
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.
