Meaning & use
in-law
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A relative by marriage rather than by blood, such as a spouse's parent or sibling.
Grammar: Usually used in compounds like mother-in-law or brother-in-law; used alone, it means any relative by marriage.
Patterns
- my in-laws
- the in-laws
We're having dinner with my in-laws this weekend.
His in-laws live in another city, so they visit twice a year.
nouncountable
A person related to you through your spouse, as in mother-in-law, sister-in-law, etc.
Grammar: In this sense, it is always part of a compound noun; the plural is formed by adding -s to the first word, e.g. mothers-in-law.
Patterns
- mother-in-law
- father-in-law
- sister-in-law
- brother-in-law
My mother-in-law makes the best apple pie.
He introduced me to his sister-in-law at the party.
Word forms
| plural | in-laws |
|---|
Common combinations
- mother-in-law
- My mother-in-law is coming to stay for a week.
- father-in-law
- His father-in-law taught him how to fish.
- sister-in-law
- My sister-in-law works as a nurse.
- brother-in-law
- Her brother-in-law is a chef.
- son-in-law
- Their son-in-law helps them with the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relative by marriage
- A more formal and explicit phrase; in-law is shorter and more common in everyday speech.
Word family
- law noun
- The base word from which in-law is derived; it refers to rules or legal matters.
Commonly confused: in-law or outlaw?
in-law vs outlaw
Outlaw means a criminal or a person who has broken the law; in-law is a family relation by marriage.
Practice
My ______ is a wonderful cook; she always brings dessert to family gatherings.
Choose one answer.
Mother-in-law is the correct compound noun for your spouse's mother. The other options are incorrect spellings or forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in-law”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.