nounplural noun mothers-in-law

• The mother of one's husband or wife.

  ‘Whenever possible, we go back to relieve his wife and my mother-in-law Judith of her bedside vigil.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The problem hit home to me early last year as my wife, my mother-in-law and I caught a taxi home from a party in a Bristol city-centre hotel.’
  • ‘My mother-in-law asked my wife if she wanted to ride with them, but she declined.’
  • ‘We have all lost mothers, sisters, mothers-in-law.’
  • ‘Men's and women's names follow the same rules, with the exception that new wives are often given new names by their mothers-in-law when they first go to live with the husband's family.’
  • ‘He said he comes to bingo every week with his wife, mum and mother-in-law and often brings a group of his mates along as well.’
  • ‘His wife comes from our town, and his beaming mother-in-law still lives here.’
  • ‘Traditional kinship terms reflect this, with different terms for the husband's parents and the wife's parents, and for the two mothers-in-law.’
  • ‘He now lives on a permanent disability pension with his wife, their two children and his mother-in-law.’
  • ‘Did I mention that my mother-in-law is a professional chef?’
  • ‘His mother-in-law was anxious to be with her daughter in her dying moments.’
  • ‘He made sure to express his gratitude to his mother-in-law Michelle as well.’
  • ‘I spoke to my mother-in-law on the telephone and she told me to count her in.’
  • ‘My mother-in-law, who raised six children, used to say that she could attend to babies in the night without even opening her eyes properly.’