Father-in-laws vs. Fathers-in-law

Father-in-laws

/ˈfɑːðər ɪn lɔːz/

A father-in-law is the father of a person's spouse.

Examples:

He brought his father-in-law fishing last summer.Her father-in-law gifted them a beautiful heirloom.My father-in-law taught me to play chess.

Synonyms:

This word has no synonyms

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Fathers-in-law

/ˈfɑːðərz ɪn lɔː/

The fathers of one's spouse

Examples:

My two fathers-in-law are coming for dinner tonight.The house belongs to Sarah's fathers-in-law jointly.In some cultures, fathers-in-law play a crucial role in family events.

Synonyms:

This word has no synonyms

Antonyms:

stepfathers

Ways to tell them apart:

• When considering possessives, think of the ownership: father-in-laws house implies one father-in-law owns something, while fathers-in-laws houses implies multiple do.
• When the focus is on the word itself, father-in-laws is incorrect as a plural form, it's a common mistake.
• To make father-in-law plural, the correct form is fathers-in-law. The key is to pluralize the main noun father, not law.