daughters-in-law
Definition
- Noun (plural form of daughter-in-law):
- Spouse's daughters: "Daughters-in-law" refers to the female spouses of one's children. Specifically, a daughter-in-law is the wife of one's son.
- Step-relations: In some contexts, it can also refer to the female spouse of one's stepson or the daughter of one's spouse from a previous relationship (stepdaughter), though this usage is less common.
Usage Examples
- (The wives of my sons.)
- (The female spouses of her children.)
Advanced Usage
- "to treat like a daughter-in-law": to show the same respect or care as one would to a son's wife.
- Even though she is not officially married to my son, I treat her like a daughter-in-law. (I regard her with the same familial affection.)
Variants and Related Words
- Daughter-in-law (n, singular): the wife of one's son.
- My daughter-in-law is a wonderful cook. (The wife of my son.)
- Sons-in-law (n, plural): the male spouses of one's daughters.
- Both of my daughters are married, so I have two sons-in-law. (The husbands of my daughters.)
- In-laws (n, plural): relatives by marriage, including daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, mothers-in-law, etc.
- We are visiting my in-laws this weekend. (My spouse's family members.)
Synonyms
- Wives of one's sons: a direct description of the relationship.
- Daughters by marriage: a formal term for female spouses of one's children.
Related Idioms
- A daughter-in-law is a daughter for life: a saying meaning that the bond with a daughter-in-law is enduring and familial.
- Even after my son divorced, I still consider her my daughter-in-law; a daughter-in-law is a daughter for life. (The relationship persists beyond marriage.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Marry into: to become part of a family through marriage.
- She married into a large family and gained several daughters-in-law as sisters. (She became a relative by marriage.)