sister-in-law - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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

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 met while they were both 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.

The plural sister-in-laws is occasionally seen, especially in American English, but this is considered incorrect by most sources; see, for example, the Web Site of Professor Paul Brians: [1].

wife's sister

husband's sister

brother's wife

wife's brother's wife

husband's brother's wife

Translations to be checked