Meanings
nounfriend-in-law (plural friends-in-law)
plural friends-in-law
- humorousA friend by association rather than choice, such as the friend of a partner, spouse or other friend; an acquaintance.
Origin
From friend + -in-law, by analogy with mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, etc.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
friend-in-law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friend-in-law
MLA
“friend-in-law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friend-in-law. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “friend-in-law,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friend-in-law.
Source: friend-in-law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.