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
Even outside of traditional television, the reality TV model has made millionaires of even more toxic matriarchs such as Ruby Framke, who amassed over 2 million YouTube subscribers by pimping out her children for clicks while criminally abusing them in secret.
—
Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
That didn't stop her from playing a biblical matriarch.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Shirley Aunty, the matriarch of the Aranya Pepper farm, is an egg curry queen.
—Shirley Parameswaran, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
And speaking of Jenner, several other representatives of the Kardashian-Jenner clan were in attendance at the party, including matriarch Kris Jenner, as well as Kendall Jenner, and Kim Kardashian.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
That didn't stop her from playing a biblical matriarch.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Shirley Aunty, the matriarch of the Aranya Pepper farm, is an egg curry queen.
—Shirley Parameswaran, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
And speaking of Jenner, several other representatives of the Kardashian-Jenner clan were in attendance at the party, including matriarch Kris Jenner, as well as Kendall Jenner, and Kim Kardashian.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
