Definition

1. Noun:
   • The sister of one's spouse: This is the primary meaning, referring to the sister of the person you are married to.
   • The wife of one's sibling: This meaning refers to the woman who is married to your brother.
   • The wife of one's spouse's sibling: This meaning refers to the woman married to the brother or sister of your husband or wife.

Usage

• The term "sister-in-law" is used to describe a family relationship created through marriage, not by blood.
• The plural form is sisters-in-law.

Examples

• As the sister of one's spouse:
  • My wife's younger sister is my sister-in-law.
  • He gets along very well with his sister-in-law.
• As the wife of one's sibling:
  • My brother's wife is my sister-in-law.
  • She welcomed her new sister-in-law into the family.
• As the wife of one's spouse's sibling:
  • My husband's brother is married; his wife is also my sister-in-law.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in legal and formal contexts to denote this specific familial relationship.
• In some cultures, the term may carry specific social roles or expectations.

Variants and Related Words

• Brother-in-law (n): the brother of one's spouse or the husband of one's sibling.
  • Her brother-in-law helped them move.
• Mother-in-law (n): the mother of one's spouse.
• Father-in-law (n): the father of one's spouse.
• In-law (n): a relative by marriage (used generally or in the plural, e.g., "the in-laws").

Synonyms

• Relative by marriage: A more general term for any family member connected through marriage.
• Kin by marriage: A formal term for relatives acquired through a marital union.

Related Phrases

• To be like a sister-in-law: Used to describe a close, sisterly relationship with someone who is not a blood relative.
  • Even though we're not related, she's like a sister-in-law to me.

Noun

1. the sister of your spouse