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Showing results for matriarch. Search instead for Patriarchic.
Synonyms

matriarch

American  
[mey-tree-ahrk] / ˈmeɪ triˌɑrk /

noun

  1. the female head of a family or tribal line.

  2. a woman who is the founder or dominant member of a community or group.

  3. a venerable old woman.

matriarch British  
/ ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑːk /

noun

  1. a woman who dominates an organization, community, etc

  2. the female head of a tribe or family, esp in a matriarchy

  3. a very old or venerable woman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • matriarchal adjective
  • matriarchalism noun
  • matriarchic adjective

Etymology

Origin of matriarch

First recorded in 1600–10; matri- + -arch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.