matriarchal
adjective
ma·tri·ar·chal
ˌmā-trē-ˈär-kəl 
: of, relating to, or being a matriarch or matriarchy
a matriarchal society
Johnnie Angelia King … plays a very different matriarchal figure here, imbuing hard-working Faye with passion …—
Larry T. Collins
Larry T. CollinsAs a Filipino-American, Lirio Marcelo was steeped in a matriarchal culture where there was no shortage of female role models in corporate and government realms.—Lydia Dishman
Lydia DishmanExamples of matriarchal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But while Alice checks into a hotel in the city, Lilia returns to the family home, under the matriarchal rule of her grandmother Néfissa (Salma Baccar).
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Indigenous matriarchal societies expressed spatial information through different forms of cartography.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Creativity thrives here, shaped by generations of trailblazing women, from the iconic artist Georgia O’Keeffe to the enduring matriarchal traditions of the Pueblo peoples.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
The story follows an English teacher, Penelope Schleeman, who has written a début novel about the adventures of a feisty mermaid living in a matriarchal pod.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
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Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Indigenous matriarchal societies expressed spatial information through different forms of cartography.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Creativity thrives here, shaped by generations of trailblazing women, from the iconic artist Georgia O’Keeffe to the enduring matriarchal traditions of the Pueblo peoples.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
The story follows an English teacher, Penelope Schleeman, who has written a début novel about the adventures of a feisty mermaid living in a matriarchal pod.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarchal
Cite this Entry
“Matriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarchal. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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