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
Daniel Serafini, a former Major League Baseball player convicted of shooting his wife’s parents in Placer County, sat in court on Monday and listened to an audio recording of his late mother-in-law identifying him as the shooter.
—
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Also called mother-in-law’s tongue and formerly Sansevieria, this low-maintenance plant is identifiable by its tall, sword-like leaves that store water.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
When the mother-in-law entered Simon’s bedroom to tell him and his wife about it, Simon appeared visibly upset and left the room to confront Toth.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
While our relationship with my mother-in-law is cordial, our relationship with her sisters is poor.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mother-in-law
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Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Also called mother-in-law’s tongue and formerly Sansevieria, this low-maintenance plant is identifiable by its tall, sword-like leaves that store water.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
When the mother-in-law entered Simon’s bedroom to tell him and his wife about it, Simon appeared visibly upset and left the room to confront Toth.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
While our relationship with my mother-in-law is cordial, our relationship with her sisters is poor.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
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 16 Feb. 2026.
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