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
Following the news of her death, Joan's sons and other family members paid tribute to the late matriarch.
—
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
It’s led by Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays matriarch Ann.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Jessica Capshaw as Blythe HartCapshaw plays Blythe, Don's wife and the matriarch of an aristocratic Nashville family.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
Trier paints a vivid, tender portrait of a fractured family through time, examining its tangled roots via a beautiful family home passed down through generations, where a matriarch once hung herself and where, in the present day, Gustav wants to shoot his new film.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
It’s led by Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays matriarch Ann.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Jessica Capshaw as Blythe HartCapshaw plays Blythe, Don's wife and the matriarch of an aristocratic Nashville family.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
Trier paints a vivid, tender portrait of a fractured family through time, examining its tangled roots via a beautiful family home passed down through generations, where a matriarch once hung herself and where, in the present day, Gustav wants to shoot his new film.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 3 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 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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