el cuñado

Meaning (in English)

Cuñado means “brother-in-law.” It refers to:

1. Your spouse’s brother (your husband’s or wife’s brother).
2. The husband of your sibling (the man married to your sister; in some contexts it can also be used broadly for an in-law relationship depending on region, but the standard meaning is “brother-in-law”).

Parts / structure

• cuñ-: root related to cuña (historically linked; not usually analyzed by modern speakers as separable meaning).
• -ado: common Spanish ending forming nouns/adjectives (here, it’s simply part of the established noun cuñado).
• Feminine form: cuñada = sister-in-law.

Spanish synonyms (approximate / contextual)

There isn’t a true everyday synonym that fully replaces it, but these can work in explanations:

• hermano político (more formal/explicit: “in-law brother”)
• pariente político (broader: “in-law relative,” not specific to brother-in-law)

Spanish antonyms

No direct antonym (it’s a specific family relationship). Depending on context, the “opposite” category could be:

• no pariente / extraño (not a relative / a stranger) — not a true antonym, but a contrast.