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
This mother-in-law’s outrageous request went viral.
—
Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Her no-nonsense mother-in-law Noriko (Judy Ongg) doesn’t help.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
My mother-in-law was there, my mother, my father-in-law.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 23 June 2024
At one point, Prince William even assisted his mother-in-law when her heel got caught in the grass, causing her foot to slip out of her shoe!
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother-in-law 
Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Her no-nonsense mother-in-law Noriko (Judy Ongg) doesn’t help.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024
My mother-in-law was there, my mother, my father-in-law.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 23 June 2024
At one point, Prince William even assisted his mother-in-law when her heel got caught in the grass, causing her foot to slip out of her shoe!
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother-in-law
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mother-in-law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mother-in-law
Cite this Entry
“Mother-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother-in-law. Accessed 5 Jul. 2024.
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