Definition of matriarch
: 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.
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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 of matriarch from the Web
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Marilyn and her brother Rod Johnson Sr., have carried on the same traditions as their mother and family matriarch Ethel Johnson, who was a familiar sight at the family produce stand sorting berries and helping with flowers in the greenhouse.
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Kathleen Turner stars as the very proper matriarch who simply won't stand for her family being slighted in even the slightest way by anyone.
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Was the large herd primarily composed of females and led by a matriarch, like modern elephants?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'matriarch'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
1606
First Known Use of matriarch
1606
Other Government and Politics Terms
MATRIARCH Defined for English Language Learners
matriarch
playDefinition of matriarch for English Language Learners
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: a woman who controls a family, group, or government
MATRIARCH Defined for Kids
matriarch
playDefinition of matriarch for Students
: a woman who is the head of a family, group, or state
Word Root of matriarch
The Latin word mater, meaning “mother,” gives us the root mater or matr. Anyone or anything maternal, such as a grandparent, is related through the mother's side of the family. Maternity is the state of being a mother. A matriarch is a woman who is the mother and head of a family. A matron is a married woman who may be a mother.
Learn More about matriarch
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for matriarch Spanish Central: Translation of matriarch Nglish: Translation of matriarch for Spanish speakers
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