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 Dishman
Examples of matriarchal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carrington moved to Mexico in the 1940s and together with Remedios Varo and Hungarian-Mexican photojournalist Kati Horna, developed a uniquely feminine version of surrealism which referenced matriarchal societies and mysticism.
—Cath Pound, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Research into feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; females will adhere more closely to one another (typically in a community of mothers, aunts and sisters).
—Colleen Grablick, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Perhaps the proximity of Lesbos, where Sappho wrote of the sexiness of female separatism, made matriarchal societies seem perfectly plausible.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
Pods usually consist of a matriarchal female and her offspring.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
The early riot-grrrl scene was characterized by a matriarchal spirit of creative collaboration.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2024
For the first two years of his life, Kik mostly stayed in the lower Yukon River basin, almost certainly in a matriarchal herd.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
Highlights include the majestic Plantation (1980), a dazzling quilt in the BMA’s collection that envisions the Big Dipper as a matriarchal beacon of freedom, and Joyce’s Quilt (1983), a tribute to her daughter, artist Joyce J. Scott.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
For 50 years, a secretive matriarchal religious order has stolen the hearts of thousands of women.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Aug. 2023
Cath Pound, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Research into feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; females will adhere more closely to one another (typically in a community of mothers, aunts and sisters).
—Colleen Grablick, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Perhaps the proximity of Lesbos, where Sappho wrote of the sexiness of female separatism, made matriarchal societies seem perfectly plausible.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
Pods usually consist of a matriarchal female and her offspring.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
The early riot-grrrl scene was characterized by a matriarchal spirit of creative collaboration.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2024
For the first two years of his life, Kik mostly stayed in the lower Yukon River basin, almost certainly in a matriarchal herd.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023
Highlights include the majestic Plantation (1980), a dazzling quilt in the BMA’s collection that envisions the Big Dipper as a matriarchal beacon of freedom, and Joyce’s Quilt (1983), a tribute to her daughter, artist Joyce J. Scott.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
For 50 years, a secretive matriarchal religious order has stolen the hearts of thousands of women.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'matriarchal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1780, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near matriarchal
Cite this Entry
“Matriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarchal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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