daughter-in-law
B1-B2Neutral to formal; used in both everyday conversation and legal/administrative contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The wife of one's son.
A woman who is married to one's child (son), forming a familial relationship through marriage rather than blood.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Describes a kinship by marriage (affinity). The term is fixed and pluralised as 'daughters-in-law', not 'daughter-in-laws'. Implies no specification of the age or duration of the marriage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is consistent with UK/US norms for hyphenated compounds.
Connotations
Neutral familial term in both variants. No distinct cultural connotations.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects. No regional alternatives.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Possessive determiner] + daughter-in-lawVerb + daughter-in-law (e.g., have, introduce, welcome)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in HR contexts for family leave policies.
Academic
Used in anthropology, sociology, and legal studies discussing kinship systems.
Everyday
Very common in family discussions, introductions, and social settings.
Technical
Used in legal documents (wills, deeds, immigration forms) to define familial relationships precisely.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My daughter-in-law is very kind.
- She is our son's wife, our daughter-in-law.
- We invited our daughter-in-law for dinner next weekend.
- Her daughter-in-law helps her with the gardening.
- Having welcomed a new daughter-in-law into the family, they updated their will accordingly.
- The relationship between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law is often portrayed comedically.
- The estate was bequeathed jointly to her son and her daughter-in-law, reflecting their shared contribution to the family business.
- Anthropological studies examine how the role of a daughter-in-law varies across patrilocal and matrilocal societies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: She is a DAUGHTER you gain 'IN' through the 'LAW' of marriage.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAMILY IS A LEGAL CONTRACT (acquired through marriage law).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian uses a distinct, non-literal term: 'невестка'. Avoid direct translation like 'дочь-в-законе', which is nonsensical.
- The plural form 'daughters-in-law' is structurally different from Russian pluralisation.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect plural: 'daughter-in-laws' (correct: 'daughters-in-law').
- Misusing 'daughter-in-law' for 'stepdaughter' (the latter is a child of one's spouse from a previous relationship).
Practice
Quiz
What is the correct plural form of 'daughter-in-law'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, specifically for a son's wife. For a daughter's husband, the term is 'son-in-law'.
The main noun 'daughter' is pluralised: 'daughters-in-law'. The 'in-law' part remains singular.
A daughter-in-law is married to your child. A stepdaughter is your spouse's daughter from a previous relationship; you are not her biological parent.
Yes. If your son marries a man, that man is your 'son-in-law'. If your daughter marries a woman, that woman is your 'daughter-in-law'. The term is based on the gender of the spouse, not the child.