patriarchal

[ pey-tree-ahr-kuhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a patriarch, the male head of a family, tribe, community, church, order, etc.:

   my father's conservative, patriarchal ways.

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

   a patriarchal church in which women are not allowed to hold leadership roles.

Other Words From

• patri·archal·ly patri·archi·cal·ly adverb
• anti·patri·archal adjective
• anti·patri·archal·ly adverb
• quasi-patri·archal adjective
• unpa·tri·archal adjective
• unpa·tri·archal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of patriarchal¹

First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin patriarchālis, equivalent to patriarch(a) patriarch ( def ) + Latin -ālis -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

She also reflected back on her childhood years in a Catholic school run by nuns, where she saw the independence they had despite the church’s patriarchal nature.

From Los Angeles Times

The electorate that ushered Trump back into office trusts their fears and patriarchal order and takes conversational declarations that are the podcast personality’s specialty as gospel.

From Salon

“The root of it is still quite traditional and patriarchal in that these powerful women have to be sequestered from men and are essentially living in a convent,” Williams says.

From Los Angeles Times

Pudgy as a girl and not particularly popular with the boys, she refused to be judged by patriarchal standards even if she judged herself harshly for falling short.

From Los Angeles Times

What I learned about the industry is that it's deeply patriarchal.

From Salon

Related Words

• autocratic
• dictatorial
• imperious
• rigid
• strict
• totalitarian
• tyrannical