patriarch

noun

pa·​tri·​arch ˈpā-trē-ˌärk 

1

a

: one of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people

Abraham was a patriarch of the Israelites.

b

: a man who is father or founder

The newspaper patriarch celebrated his 90th birthday.

c(1)

: the oldest member or representative of a group

The cypress … is the patriarch of native trees, going back to the time of the dinosaur.

—Amer. Guide Series: Texas

(2)

: a venerable old man

… a whiskered patriarch, spry for his age …

—Frank Sullivan

d

: a man who is head of a patriarchy

2

a

: any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern Orthodox sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops

b

: the head of any of various Eastern churches

c

: a Roman Catholic bishop next in rank to the pope with purely titular or with metropolitan (see metropolitan entry 2 sense 1) jurisdiction

3

: a Latter-day Saint of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction

Examples of patriarch in a Sentence

Our grandfather was the family's patriarch.

The tribe's patriarch ruled for 20 years before his death.

Recent Examples on the Web

The next day, Luwi had a similar daydream, but this time the disapproving patriarch was Gajdusek. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Under the Buss family, with patriarch Jerry passing away in 2013, the Lakers snagged 11 NBA Championships. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

In their place are flawed geniuses and idiosyncratic personalities thrust together in the dregs of intelligence services, operating like a dysfunctional family under its disreputable patriarch. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

The Andy family, whose patriarch grew up in Miami before moving to New Jersey where the family still runs the popular La Mer Resort, gave the land to the Miami Blue Chapter of the National Butterfly Association. — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English patriarche, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin patriarcha, from Greek patriarchēs, from patria lineage (from patr-, patēr father) + -archēs -arch — more at father

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing patriarch

• ecumenical patriarch

Rhymes for patriarch

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• monarch
• postmark
• remark
• skylark

Kids Definition

patriarch

noun

pa·​tri·​arch ˈpā-trē-ˌärk 

1

a

: one of the Old Testament fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people

b

: the father and ruler of a family or tribe

c

: an old man deserving respect

2

: any of various bishops of highest rank and dignity

patriarchal

ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl

adjective