father-in-law

[fah-ther-in-law] / ˈfɑ ðər ɪnˌlɔ /

NOUN

kinsman

Synonyms

STRONG

agnate aunt blood brother-in-law cognate connection cousin father folk folks grandparents in-laws kin kinsperson kinswoman mother mother-in-law nephew niece relation sib sibling sister-in-law stepbrother stepparent stepsister uncle

WEAK

clansperson great-grandparents

NOUN

kinswoman

Synonyms

STRONG

agnate aunt blood brother-in-law cognate connection cousin father folk folks grandparents in-laws kin kinsman kinsperson mother mother-in-law nephew niece relation sib sibling sister-in-law stepbrother stepparent stepsister uncle

WEAK

clansperson great-grandparents

NOUN

relative

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aunt cousin father folk mother niece sibling uncle

STRONG

agnate blood brother-in-law cognate connection folks grandparents in-laws kinsperson mother-in-law nephew relation sib sister-in-law stepbrother stepparent stepsister

WEAK

clansperson great-grandparents

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He has visited with the president on numerous occasions and his father-in-law, Ronald Lauder, is a longtime friend of Trump.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

My late father-in-law loved orchids, and in his decadeslong passion he built and maintained two large greenhouses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

“Sabbir doesn’t want to share with us information about the situation,” said his father-in-law, Kutub Uddin Biswas.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Having previously dabbled in skiing as a tourist, the 31-year-old's journey to the Games started out as a wish "just to impress" his Italian father-in-law.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

In a drugstore she buys a Timex watch for her father-in-law, Bic pens for her cousins, embroidery thread and thimbles for her mother and her aunts.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

father-in-law

Example Sentences

Related Words