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

Sometimes, that feeling can be fun and hyperbolic, as when Navis and her set decoration team decided on the day to take all the dolls scattered around Hamid and Dallas’ house and pile them into the mother-in-law’s room Mo attempts to stay in. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2025

Caroline was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Amanda Schutte; brother, Herman Schutte; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Vernon and Pearl Krone; brothers-in-law, Bob Heuer and Don Hermanson; sister-in-law, Pat Krone. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

One woman is seeking advice from the Reddit community after reaching her breaking point with her mother-in-law’s unsolicited advice. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Perhaps the mother-in-law saw the baby crying and wanted to help comfort them, or was confused about the purpose of breastfeeding—thinking the act is only meant to comfort babies and not nourish them. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 Feb. 2025

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