son-in-law
Americannoun
-
sons-in-law
plural
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.
See Examples For:
Gray is survived by his wife, Stacy Benon Gray; his stepchildren Ryan Cooper and Laurel Cooper; and son-in-law Lee Barker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Her son-in-law helped her put $40,000 into an Aviva indexed annuity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
When Sabrina Elliott inherited some money, her son-in-law helped her invest $40,000 in a product that dangled the prospect of stock-market gains with no risk of loss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Hamilton is survived by her daughter, a son-in-law, two grandsons and four great-grandchildren, according to MIT.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Her son-in-law, who had heard what had happened, felt he had borne enough disgrace.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Every year, we give each of our daughters and sons-in-law $100 for their birthdays.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
The couple are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, the trust said.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026
He is also survived by his brother Bud, two devoted sons-in-law Jesse Sisgold and Avi Reiter, and four grandchildren.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025
The same masters, however, often changed the rules of their guild so that only the sons and sons-in-law of current masters could become masters themselves.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
“I admire all my three sons-in-law highly,” said he.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
