matriarch

noun ma·tri·arch \ ˈmā-trē-ˌärk \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

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.

—

matriarchal

play \ˌmā-trē-ˈär-kəl\ adjective

See matriarch defined for English-language learners

See matriarch defined for kids

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

McMahon, the professional wrestling matriarch and Donald Trump’s Small Business Administrator, was twice thwarted in her bids for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012 despite $100 million in personal spending.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "Joe Ganim Approaches $800K Fundraising Mark In Governor's Race," 9 July 2018
Rose was the matriarch of her family and a second mom to many of her children’s friends.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 7/10," 10 July 2018
Tell us about this formidable matriarch and the role of women in the West.

— josh haner, National Geographic, "The Last Cowboys: A Cattle-Ranching Family Fights to Survive," 29 June 2018
Was there any hope that Madison, the Clark family matriarch played by Deadwood and Sons of Anarchy veteran Kim Dickens, somehow survived as well?

— josh wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Fear the Walking Dead' Finally Answers Kim Dickens' Fate," 10 June 2018
Helen Hedman gives a compelling portrayal of the Hollander family matriarch.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "At Everyman Theatre, 'Book of Joseph' provides intriguing drama of family secrets, regrets," 18 May 2018
Family matriarch Ami Brown was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2017, and was given a 3 percent chance of survival.

— temi adebowale, Country Living, "Solomon 'Bear' Brown From 'Alaskan Bush People' Was Hospitalized After a Scary Accident," 18 May 2018
Join Rabbi Fliegel to study the complex stories of the Jewish matriarch Sarah through biblical, rabbinic, and contemporary Jewish texts.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The West Hartford Edition," 15 May 2018
As Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt has captured the attention and hearts of Chicago and the country during Loyola’s run to the Final Four, the city’s sports matriarch has taken notice.

— rich campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Sister Jean has a fan in fellow nonagenarian Virginia McCaskey," 28 Mar. 2018

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.

First Known Use of matriarch

1606

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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matriarch Synonyms

Synonyms

dame, dowager, grande dame, matron;

Related Words

grandam (or grandame);

headmistress, mistress;

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

MATRIARCH Defined for English Language Learners

matriarch

noun

Definition of matriarch for English Language Learners

: a woman who controls a family, group, or government

MATRIARCH Defined for Kids

matriarch

noun ma·tri·arch \ ˈmā-trē-ˌärk \

Definition 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.