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
That's the other thing fueling Janae's desire for matzo ball redemption: her mother-in-law.
—
Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
But that order failed to stop Reyes from attacking his wife and mother-in-law again, prosecutors say.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
At one point last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that his 94-year-old mother-in-law wouldn't complain about missing a Social Security check for a month or so.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
As the family reminisced about her husband’s teenage years, her mother-in-law made a comment that left the mom furious.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
But that order failed to stop Reyes from attacking his wife and mother-in-law again, prosecutors say.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
At one point last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that his 94-year-old mother-in-law wouldn't complain about missing a Social Security check for a month or so.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
As the family reminisced about her husband’s teenage years, her mother-in-law made a comment that left the mom furious.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share