son-in-law
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of son-in-law
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sone in lawe; see origin at son, in, law 1; 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.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are in Doha to discuss the US-Iran negotiations with mediators, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman says, but they will not meet Iranian officials there.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner "will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week".
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
Before the war started, he sent his usual duo of diplomatic emissaries, son-in-law Jared Kushner and fellow real-estate tycoon Steve Witkoff, both of whom knew nothing about Iran or nuclear-weapons technology.
From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026
Her daughter and son-in-law, who live with her, were on a trip out of state, so she spent most of the day in her car at the evacuation center with the pets.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
She leaned in and kissed her son-in-law on the lips.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
