inlaw
Definition
- Noun (often plural: ):
- A relative by marriage, such as a spouse's parent, sibling, or other family member.
Usage Examples
- (My spouse's parents are coming to stay.)
- (She gets along well with her husband's or wife's family members.)
- (He invited the relatives of his spouse.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "inlaw" is typically used in the plural form "inlaws" to refer collectively to a person's relatives by marriage.
- It is often preceded by a possessive pronoun (e.g., , ).
Variants and Related Words
- In-law (n, hyphenated form): A relative by marriage.
- She introduced me to her new in-law, her brother-in-law.
- Mother-in-law (n): The mother of one's spouse.
- His mother-in-law lives nearby.
- Father-in-law (n): The father of one's spouse.
- Brother-in-law (n): The brother of one's spouse, or the husband of one's sibling.
- Sister-in-law (n): The sister of one's spouse, or the wife of one's sibling.
Synonyms
- Relative by marriage: A family member connected through marriage rather than blood.
- Kin by marriage: A formal term for relatives acquired through marriage.
Related Idioms
- "The inlaws": A common informal reference to one's spouse's family.
- We spent the holidays with the inlaws. (We stayed with my spouse's family.)
Additional Note
- The word "inlaw" as a verb (meaning to restore legal rights to an outlaw) is archaic and rarely used in modern English. The common modern meaning is exclusively the noun form referring to relatives by marriage.