matriarch
noun
ma·tri·arch
ˈmā-trē-ˌärk 
: a woman who rules or dominates a family, group, or state
specifically
: a mother who is head and ruler of her family and descendants
Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.
Did you know?
A matriarchy is a social unit governed by a woman or group of women. It isn't certain that a true matriarchal society has ever existed, so matriarchy is usually treated as an imaginative concept. But there are societies in which relatedness through women rather than men is stressed, and elements of matriarchy may be stronger in certain societies than they are in most of the Western world. And most of us can point to families in which a woman has become the dominant figure, or grande dame, or matriarch.
Examples of matriarch in a Sentence
Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.
The tribe's matriarch ruled for 20 years before her death.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rashad played Huxtable matriarch Clair, the elegant lawyer wife of obstetrician Heathcliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby).
—
Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
Posey brought the laughs and lorazepam to The White Lotus season 3 as the Ratliff family matriarch, Victoria.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Getty portrayed the cantankerous but charming matriarch Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Arthur's character, and McClanahan played the flirtatious Southern belle Blanche.
—Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
From there, they are forced to deal with an aging group of matriarchs (June Squibb, Annette O’Toole and Marceline Hugot) who covertly run the town—not to mention the cold and calculating brothel manager Enid (Margo Martindale).
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
Posey brought the laughs and lorazepam to The White Lotus season 3 as the Ratliff family matriarch, Victoria.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Getty portrayed the cantankerous but charming matriarch Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Arthur's character, and McClanahan played the flirtatious Southern belle Blanche.
—Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
From there, they are forced to deal with an aging group of matriarchs (June Squibb, Annette O’Toole and Marceline Hugot) who covertly run the town—not to mention the cold and calculating brothel manager Enid (Margo Martindale).
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
matriarch
noun
ma·tri·arch
ˈmā-trē-ˌärk
: a woman who rules a family, group, or state
especially
: a mother who is head of her family and descendants
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