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.

Synonyms of matriarch

• dowager
• matron

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

In MobLand, Mirren plays Maeve Harrigan, matriarch of the Harrigan crime family, married to Pierce Brosnan’s Conrad. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Patricia Richardson, who played the matriarch Jill Taylor, has indicated a willingness to return to the role. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 12 June 2026

Karen Grassle starred as Ma Ingalls, the family matriarch and a former schoolteacher. —Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026

The actress, 43, steps into the shoes of the beloved matriarch Sue Florek in Every Year After, a new Prime Video adaptation of Carley Fortune's bestselling 2022 novel, Every Summer After. —Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matriarch

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

Kids 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

matriarchal

ˌmā-trē-ˈär-kəl 

adjective