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 previous day, Guthrie visited a memorial dedicated to Nancy outside the matriarch's home, supported by her sister Annie and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni.
—
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Video retrieved from a doorbell camera showed an armed man in a mask and gloves approaching the property on a couple of occasions prior to the 84-year-old matriarch’s apparent abduction.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Pfeiffer will play Stacy, the matriarch of the well-to-do New York City Clyburn clan, who leave for central Montana in the wake of tragedy.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Going far beyond traditional nip and tuck procedures, the results left commenters marveling at how the matriarch of the Kardashian clan looked younger than her own children.
—Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Video retrieved from a doorbell camera showed an armed man in a mask and gloves approaching the property on a couple of occasions prior to the 84-year-old matriarch’s apparent abduction.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Pfeiffer will play Stacy, the matriarch of the well-to-do New York City Clyburn clan, who leave for central Montana in the wake of tragedy.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Going far beyond traditional nip and tuck procedures, the results left commenters marveling at how the matriarch of the Kardashian clan looked younger than her own children.
—Patrick R. Crowley, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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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