brother-in-law

noun

broth·​er-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hər-ən-ˌlȯ How to pronounce brother-in-law (audio)
ˈbrət͟h-rən-
ˈbrə-t͟hərn-
plural brothers-in-law ˈbrə-t͟hərz-ən- How to pronounce brother-in-law (audio)
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
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.
Take, for example, a recent one-day hike in the Catskills with my brother-in-law, our first such outing. Tom Vanderbilt, Outside, 29 Dec. 2025 With help from his brother-in-law, Sanchez’s dad tore out the closet in his bedroom at his parents' house, transforming the room into a dollhouse. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025 José González Valencia, a brother-in-law of El Mencho, was sentenced in June to 30 years in a prison after pleading guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge. CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025 Later Cobb and his brother-in-law, Jack Lyon, bought out the others and turned the Idaho Statesman into a major newspaper. Idaho Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brother-in-law

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brother-in-law was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brother-in-law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brother-in-law. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on brother-in-law

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