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brother-in-law

English

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brother-in-law

  • /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɔ/ US
  • /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɑ/ cot caught merger
  • /ˈbɹʌðəɹ ɪn ˌlɔː/ UK

Where it comes from

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

noun brothers-in-law · brethren-in-law · brother-in-laws · brother in law

  1. The brother of one's spouse. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has closed its insider trading investigation into stock trades made by then-Sen. Richard Burr and his brother-in-law at the outset of the pandemic, the former senator announced Friday.
  2. The husband of one's sibling.
  3. The husband of the sibling of one's spouse. He was appalled by trench conditions and the prolongation of the war, a disillusionment further encouraged by the Easter rising, in which his brother-in-law, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington (qv), was murdered by a deranged Anglo–Irish officer, J. C. Bowen-Colthurst (qv).
  4. uncommon The brother of the spouse of one's sibling.

Translations

Every language

noun husband of the sister of one's husband

Españolconcuñado
한국어시(媤)누 남편 sinu nampyeon, 시매부 simaebu
日本語義理の兄 giri no ani, 義兄 gikei, 義理の弟 giri no otōto, 義弟 gitei, 義兄弟 gikyōdai
हिन्दीजीजा jījā, बहनोई bahnoī
Portuguêsconcunhado, cunhado
Françaisbeau-frère
DeutschSchwippschwager
Românăcumnat
Русскийзять zjatʹ
עבריתגִּיס gís

noun husband of the sister of one's wife

Españolconcuñado
한국어동서 dongseo
日本語義理の兄 giri no ani, 義兄 gikei, 義理の弟 giri no otōto, 義弟 gitei, 義兄弟 gikyōdai
中文姨夫 yífū, 襟兄 jīnxiōng, 襟弟 jīndì
हिन्दीसाढ़ू sāṛhū
Portuguêsconcunhado, cunhado
Françaisbeau-frère
DeutschSchwippschwager
Ελληνικάμπατζανάκης batzanákis
Românăcumnat
Русскийсвоя́к svoják
עבריתגִּיס gís

noun brother of one's husband

Españolcuñado, mashita
한국어시숙 sisuk, 시(媤)아주버니 siajubeoni, 시동생 sidongsaeng
日本語義理の兄 giri no ani, 義兄 gikei, 義理の弟 giri no otōto, 義弟 gitei, 義兄弟 gikyōdai, (お)義兄さん
中文大伯子 dàbǎizi, 小叔子 xiǎoshūzi
हिन्दीदेवर devar, जेठ jeṭh
Portuguêscunhado
Françaisbeau-frère
DeutschSchwager, Schwäher
Italianocognato
Ελληνικάκουνιάδος kouniádos
Românăcumnat, șogor
Русскийде́верь déverʹ
Tiếng Việtanh chồng, em chồng
العربيةشَقِيق زَوْج šaqīq zawj, شَقِيق زَوْجَة šaqīq zawja, سِلْف silf
עבריתגִּיס gís, יָבָם yavám

noun brother of one's wife

Españolcuñado
한국어처남 cheonam
日本語義理の兄 giri no ani, 義兄 gikei, 義理の弟 giri no otōto, 義弟 gitei, 義兄弟 gikyōdai, (お)義兄さん
中文内兄 大舅子 nèixiōng, 内弟 nèidì, 婦兄 /妇兄 fùxiōng, 小舅子 xiǎojiùzi, 大舅 dàjiù, 小舅 xiǎojiù
हिन्दीसाला sālā
Portuguêscunhado
Françaisbeau-frère
DeutschSchwager, Schwäher
Ελληνικάκουνιάδος kouniádos
Românăcumnat
Русскийшу́рин šúrin
Tiếng Việtanh vợ, em vợ
עבריתגִּיס gís

noun husband of one's sister

Españolcuñado
한국어매부 maebu, 형부 hyeongbu, 제부 jebu
日本語義理の兄 giri no ani, 義兄 gikei, 義理の弟 giri no otōto, 義弟 gitei, 義兄弟 gikyōdai, (お)義兄さん
中文姐夫 jiěfu, 妹夫 mèifu, 姊夫 zǐfū, 姊丈 zǐzhàng, 妹倩 mèiqiàn, 妹婿 mèixù
हिन्दीजीजा jījā, बहनोई bahnoī
Portuguêscunhado
Françaisbeau-frère
DeutschSchwager, Schwäher
Ελληνικάγαμπρός gamprós
Românăcumnat
Русскийзять zjatʹ
Tiếng Việtanh rể
עבריתגִּיס gís

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"brother-in-law." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/brother-in-law. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

brother-in-law. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/brother-in-law

Chicago

"brother-in-law." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/brother-in-law.

BibTeX
@misc{brother_in_law_2026,
  title = {brother-in-law},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/brother-in-law},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}