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.
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 Abandons stars Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson and Lucas Till as families at war; one has money, the other has a desperate desire for power, leading the two matriarchs into an intense showdown.
—
Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
Mandy Moore portrayed family matriarch Rebecca from her high school years into her 80s.
—Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Nov. 2025
Certain actors do manage to interrupt the recycled milieu with standout performances, particularly Ryder, Hawke, Cara Buono (as Wheeler matriarch Karen, whose aloof persona finally gets punctured), and Priah Ferguson (playing Lucas’s suddenly-a-teenager younger sister, Erica).
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Today it’s run by Martin and her cousin Lally Brennan, who keep the matriarch's spirit alive and the dining room humming.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
Mandy Moore portrayed family matriarch Rebecca from her high school years into her 80s.
—Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Nov. 2025
Certain actors do manage to interrupt the recycled milieu with standout performances, particularly Ryder, Hawke, Cara Buono (as Wheeler matriarch Karen, whose aloof persona finally gets punctured), and Priah Ferguson (playing Lucas’s suddenly-a-teenager younger sister, Erica).
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Today it’s run by Martin and her cousin Lally Brennan, who keep the matriarch's spirit alive and the dining room humming.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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