Definition

Noun: The mother of a person's spouse. This term refers specifically to the relationship created by marriage, not by birth.

Usage

This noun is used to identify or refer to the mother of one's husband or wife. It is a compound noun that functions as a single unit to describe this specific familial relationship.

Examples

• She has a very close relationship with her mother-in-law.
• My mother-in-law is coming to visit us next weekend.
• He gets along well with his mother-in-law.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in legal, social, and familial contexts to distinguish this relationship from one's biological or adoptive mother.
• The plural form is mothers-in-law, following the standard rule for pluralizing compound nouns where the primary noun ("mother") is pluralized.

Variants and Related Words

• Father-in-law: The father of one's spouse.
• Parent-in-law: A general term for the father-in-law or mother-in-law.
• In-laws: A collective, informal term for the family of one's spouse, especially the parents.

Synonyms

• There is no direct single-word synonym in English for this specific familial relationship. Descriptive phrases like "spouse's mother" can be used.

Antonyms

• Mother: Refers to one's own biological or adoptive mother, not the mother acquired through marriage.

Notes

• This is a hyphenated compound noun. The hyphens are essential to link the words into a single concept with a specific meaning distinct from the separate words "mother," "in," and "law."
• Cultural attitudes and jokes about the "mother-in-law" are common in many English-speaking societies, often portraying a stereotypically difficult relationship, though this is not reflective of all real-life situations.

Noun

1. the mother of your spouse