patriarchy

noun

pa·​tri·​ar·​chy ˈpā-trē-ˌär-kē 

plural patriarchies

1

: social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line

broadly : control by men of a disproportionately large share of power

2

: a society or institution organized according to the principles or practices of patriarchy

For 20 years the country was ruled as a patriarchy.

Examples of patriarchy in a Sentence

For 20 years, the country was ruled as a patriarchy.

a region in which patriarchy is practiced

Recent Examples on the Web

As feminists fought patriarchy’s attempt to render women vulnerable socially and leave us dependent on men for money and more, the all-too-human inevitability of vulnerability and dependence got lost in the muck. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

So then and now, whether a female serial killer has no reason or good reason to commit murder, the patriarchy is desperate to punish her; to put her back in her place; to bury her in her own fury. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Lizzie, Maggie, or Jessica Barden’s actress Nance O’Neil, who coaches Lizzie on how to be more acceptably feminine in public — Monster detrimentally sticks to its Tumblr-level framing of patriarchy’s impact. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Set in a world where patriarchy is absolute, young Cherry is given 100 days to become pregnant or be put to death. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for patriarchy

• autarky
• menarche
• arche
• sparky
• hierarchy
• matriarchy
• oligarchy

Kids Definition

patriarchy

noun

pa·​tri·​ar·​chy ˈpā-trē-ˌär-kē 

plural patriarchies

1

: social organization in which the father is head of the family and ancestry and inheritance are traced in the male line

2

: a society organized according to the principles of patriarchy