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

The matriarch agreed to see her face-to-face instead. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2026

Burden is an immigration attorney and the granddaughter of society matriarch Babe Paley. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026

The matriarch attempted to add Richard, who had been managing the stand since the 1990s, and her daughter Patricia Hernandez to the lease agreement in 2019. —Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026

Guided by the imperious voiceover of family matriarch Ann (Francis Annis), Soames chases after the lovely Irene (Millie Gibson), who scandalously dances ballet and wants to go to Paris. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matriarch

• disembark
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark
• marc

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