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
Set against the backdrop of the War of the Roses, The Dreadful follows Anne (Turner) and her sinister mother-in-law Morwen (Harden), who live a solitary, harsh life on the outskirts of society.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
Her mother-in-law actually messaged me a very sweet message afterwards.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Gutierrez-Ochoa allegedly kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy around November 2021 in an attempt to secure the release of his mother-in-law, El Mencho’s wife, who had been arrested by Mexican authorities.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
But why is her fiancé so skittish, and where in the name of V.C. Andrews is her future mother-in-law?
—The Week Us, theweek, 19 Nov. 2024
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.
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
Her mother-in-law actually messaged me a very sweet message afterwards.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Gutierrez-Ochoa allegedly kidnapped two members of the Mexican Navy around November 2021 in an attempt to secure the release of his mother-in-law, El Mencho’s wife, who had been arrested by Mexican authorities.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
But why is her fiancé so skittish, and where in the name of V.C. Andrews is her future mother-in-law?
—The Week Us, theweek, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share