noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɔ/
General-American:brŭˈ -thər-ĭn-lôˌ
cot-caught-merger:/ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɑ/
cot-caught-merger:-läˌ
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbɹʌðəɹ ɪn ˌlɔː/
Received-Pronunciation:-lôˌ
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B R AH1 DH ER0 IH0 N L AO2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A male relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
The brother of one's spouse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A male relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
The husband of one's sibling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Co-brother-in-law: A male relative of one's generation, separated by two degrees of marriage:
The husband of the sibling of one's spouse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Co-brother-in-law: A male relative of one's generation, separated by two degrees of marriage:
The brother of the spouse of one's sibling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a brother by marriage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: in-law, relative-in-law
History
Etymology
From Middle English brother-in-lawe; equivalent to brother + -in-law.
Across languages
Translations
526 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
swaer
— brother of one's husband
Albanian:
kunat
— brother of one's husband
Arabic:
شَقِيق زَوْج
(šaqīq zawj)
— brother of one's husband
Arabic:
شَقِيق زَوْجَة
(šaqīq zawja)
— brother of one's husband
Arabic:
سِلْف
(silf)
— brother of one's husband
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܐܝܼܕ݂ܡܵܐ
(īḏmā)
— brother of one's husband