brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ 

ˈbrət͟h-rən-,

ˈbrə-t͟hərn-

plural brothers-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hərz-ən- 

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

a

: the husband of one's sibling

b

: the husband of one's spouse's sibling

Examples of brother-in-law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kylie Kelce showed up in Kansas City to support her husband Jason and brother-in-law Travis. —Natasha Dye, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

His brother-in-law, Kit (Yu), also in the fire service, holds Fan personally responsible, which causes inevitable friction when Fan is recalled into the fold to advise on the current escalating crisis. —James Marsh, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

Her brother-in-law, Tony West, who has been acting as a close adviser, is chief legal officer for Uber. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024

Her husband was in left field, her brother-in-law was also on the team. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-(ə-)rən-ˌlȯ,

ˈbrət͟h-ərn-ˌlȯ

plural brothers-in-law

ˈbrət͟h-ər-zən-

1

: the brother of one's spouse

2

: the husband of one's sibling or of one's spouse's sibling