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

Stitt points out a photograph of Olney in a hallway near the bathroom, while recalling sharing wine with Lulu Peyraud, the beloved matriarch of the Domaine Tempier wine estate in Provence, among a collage of other French memories. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Netflix and Shondaland on Thursday announced a limited series about the early years of Bridgerton family's matriarch, Lady Violet. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

The series will see stars Constance Wu and Henry Golding reprise their roles as lovebirds Rachel Chu and Nick Young; Ronny Chieng as Nick’s cousin Eddie Cheng and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as the hard-to-please Young family matriarch, Eleanor. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Like 2023’s Queen Charlotte, the new show will focus on the younger days of a character from the main series — in this case, Lady Violet Bridgerton, the matriarch of the show’s central family. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 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