Meanings
plural mother-in-law apartments
- A small apartment attached to or carved out of a nominally single-family house, ostensibly intended for occupancy by a mother-in-law or other relative, but potentially also rented out to a stranger.
Near-synonyms: in-law unit, granny annexe, granny flat, granny room, secondary suite, casita, garden apartment, ADU (“accessory dwelling unit”)
1 more example
"Accessory dwelling units are commonly referred to as mother-in-law apartments. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a second dwelling on a piece of property where a primary residence already exists." —King County (Washington)
Synonyms: in-law unit, granny annexe, granny flat, granny room, secondary suite, casita, garden apartment, ADU
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small apartment attached to or carved out of a nominally single-family house, ostensibly intended for occupancy by a mother-in-law or other relative, but potentially also rented out to a stranger.
Cite this entry
mother-in-law apartment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mother-in-law%20apartment
“mother-in-law apartment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mother-in-law%20apartment. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mother-in-law apartment,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mother-in-law%20apartment.
Source: mother-in-law apartment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.