matriarchal

[ mey-tree-ahr-kuhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a matriarch, the female head of a family, tribe, community, etc.:

   her matriarchal qualities of love and compassion.

2. characteristic of an entity, family, etc., controlled by women:

   matriarchal cultures in India.

Word History and Origins

Origin of matriarchal¹

First recorded in 1840–45; matriarch ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Her performance as the quick-witted matriarchal figure won her three Primetime Emmy awards, a Bafta, a Golden Globe and four Screen Actors Guild awards.

From BBC

Thy live in matriarchal groups of about 10 and sometimes meet up with hundreds or thousands of other whales.

From Seattle Times

Elephants are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because, in these heavily matriarchal societies, the older cows accumulate wisdom that they share with the youths.

From Salon

Foster’s performance is all cracked leather and matriarchal bittersweetness, pushing Danvers’ sadness to a place just beneath her impatient, determined surface.

From Salon

A matriarchal figure on screen, she previously told the BBC her fame had come as a huge shock and insisted bosses had lied to residents about the nature of the programme.

From BBC

Related Words

• esteemed
• grand
• revered
• stately
• venerated