Main Entry:

ma·tri·ar·chy

Pronunciation:

\ˈmā-trē-ˌär-kē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural ma·tri·ar·chies

Date:

1885

1 : a family, group, or state governed by a matriarch 2 : a system of social organization in which descent and inheritance are traced through the female line