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

• dame
• dowager
• grande dame
• 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 family matriarch, Andrée Auvray, regaled them with her memories of D-Day. —Catherine Porter Andrea Mantovani, New York Times, 7 June 2024

With the kernels from eight ears of corn (and the bears satiated), the matriarch then goes on to demonstrate the rest of the recipe, which Jennifer included in the caption. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 June 2024

Lady Violet Bridgerton The matriarch of the Bridgerton family is Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). —Lia Beck, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024

More than 70 of her descendants attended, scattering roses into the creek that brought their matriarch to this place. —Latria Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

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