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
In Antoine Fuqua’s Michael, slated for release on April 24, 2026, Long plays Jackson family matriarch Katherine, with Tate as Motown Records’ Berry Gordy.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Unable to attend the hearings to hear those words were Joan and Terry, the aging family matriarchs who have never wavered in their support, the cousins said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
The project is co-owned by Bluffton councilwoman and chef, Bridgette Frazier, and entrepreneur Billy Watterson, and is named for Frazier’s grandmother and Gullah matriarch, Daisy Pinckney Frazier.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Keaton became the go-to actress for family matriarchs and long-suffering wives in the years that followed, with memorable performances in The Other Sister, The Family Stone, and Town & Country.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Unable to attend the hearings to hear those words were Joan and Terry, the aging family matriarchs who have never wavered in their support, the cousins said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
The project is co-owned by Bluffton councilwoman and chef, Bridgette Frazier, and entrepreneur Billy Watterson, and is named for Frazier’s grandmother and Gullah matriarch, Daisy Pinckney Frazier.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Keaton became the go-to actress for family matriarchs and long-suffering wives in the years that followed, with memorable performances in The Other Sister, The Family Stone, and Town & Country.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 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 17 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share