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 Mormon 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 legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024

The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch passed away earlier today at his home in Osprey, FL., surrounded by his family. —Variety, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024

Saturday Night Live patriarch Lorne Michaels will produce via his Broadway video banner. —Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024

The Goldman patriarch was later interviewed in the Oscar-winning documentary O.J. Simpson: Made in America in 2016, the same year Joseph Siravo played him in American Crime Story. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2024

The patriarch of the family, who passed on the CEO and chairman role to his son François-Henri in 2005, is an avid art connoisseur himself. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024

The town’s evil patriarch is Lou’s father, Lou, Sr. (Ed Harris), who owns the gym and the gun range, and also, essentially, the police department. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024

Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo assumes the role of family patriarch Joe Jackson with Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, plus Miles Teller as lawyer John Branca. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024

The ensemble centers around the Fisher family (Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Lauren Ambrose, and Frances Conroy) who run a funeral home in Los Angeles after the sudden loss of their patriarch, exploring death as a constant companion both literally and figuratively. —Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024

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

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