: a relative by marriage

Examples of in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The homeowner called out her relatives' behavior in a post shared to Reddit on Wednesday A homeowner is seeking advice after her in-laws won’t stop snooping through her home. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Shi’s in-laws, David and Vicki Lin, rushed to the hospital to tend to Amy, and were still there when their children were slain. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 The way to be a good in-law is the same way to be a good person: to be patient, welcoming, friendly, and kind. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 The way to be a good in-law is the same way to be a good person: to be patient, welcoming, friendly and kind. Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Mitchell is survived by his wife Susan May Pratt, his children, as well as his parents and in-laws and several nieces and nephews. Marc Berman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Mitchell is survived by Pratt, his children, as well as his parents and in-laws and several nieces and nephews. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2024 Hamza walked with Kawthar and her mother from his in-laws’ home to Kamal Adwan Hospital, in our home town, Beit Lahia. Mosab Abu Toha, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024 Ask for a meeting with your spouse and your in-laws, or even just you and whoever runs the house. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in-law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

mother-in-law, etc.

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-law was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near in-law

Cite this Entry

“In-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-law. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

in-law

noun
ˈin-ˌlȯ
: a relative by marriage

More from Merriam-Webster on in-law

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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