sister-in-law

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See also: sister in law

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English suster-in-lawe; equivalent to sister +‎ -in-law.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

sister-in-law (plural sisters-in-law or (colloquial, nonstandard) sister-in-laws)

  1. A female relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
    1. The sister of one's spouse.
      Though they are not twins, my sister-in-law resembles my wife in almost every way.
    2. The wife of one's sibling.
      My sister-in-law and my brother both met while they were on vacation in Jamaica.
  2. (less common) Co-sister-in-law: The wife of one's sibling-in-law.
    1. The wife of the sibling of one's spouse.
    2. The sister of the spouse of one's sibling.

Usage notes[edit]

The plural sister-in-laws is occasionally seen, especially in American English, but this is considered incorrect by most sources; see, for example, [1].

Synonyms[edit]

Hyponyms[edit]

  • Ah Soh (elder brother’s wife) (Singapore, slang)

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.