mother-in-law

noun

moth·​er-in-law ˈmə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 

ˈmət͟h-rən-,

ˈmə-t͟hərn-

plural mothers-in-law ˈmə-t͟hər-zən-ˌlȯ 

1

: the mother of one's spouse

2

archaic : stepmother

Examples of mother-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the next step eluded her, which is when Brown’s name came up, suggested by her mother-in-law, the architect and interior designer Rena Dumas. —Lily Templeton, WWD, 26 Sep. 2024

Thank you for your comments about my response to the woman who was being bullied by her mother-in-law. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024

Gift this to a mother-in-law who loves to liven up their home with fresh flowers. —Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 19 Sep. 2024

Last month, a federal jury awarded $22.5 million in compensatory damages to the estate of William Amor, a Naperville man who spent 22 years in prison for the 1995 murder of his mother-in-law — a crime he was later found to have not committed. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mother-in-law

noun

moth·​er-in-law

ˈmət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ,

ˈmət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ

plural mothers-in-law

ˈmət͟h-ər-zən-

: the mother of one's husband or wife