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 actress who plays the matriarch of House Green, Queen Alicent Hightower, deactivated all her social-media accounts in April and didn’t return to Instagram until mid-October to promote Slow Horses season six. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2026

In the process, a family tries to come to the aid of its ailing matriarch, presented with only a series of unappealing options, each more unbearable than the next. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

The Gilded Age follows high society in New York City in the 1880s and stars Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski as new money matriarch Bertha Russell and old money widow Agnes van Rhijn. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2026

McDonald, who plays society matriarch Dorothy Scott, is proud that the series showcases more than suffering. — Paul Chi, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matriarch

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• monarch
• postmark
• remark
• skylark

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