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
The matriarch started smelling fruit, weighing the spiky samples with her hands and haggling with the seller.
—
Tom Downey, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
The story revolves around Mariamma, a child bride at age 12, who grows to become the powerful matriarch of the family.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025
The matriarch, again, was caring for strangers and relatives by giving them a bed in their home.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 16 June 2025
The Deep South matriarch more or less raised Burnett and his brother.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Tom Downey, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
The story revolves around Mariamma, a child bride at age 12, who grows to become the powerful matriarch of the family.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025
The matriarch, again, was caring for strangers and relatives by giving them a bed in their home.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 16 June 2025
The Deep South matriarch more or less raised Burnett and his brother.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 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 1 Jul. 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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