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

Who would target a beloved and vulnerable matriarch? —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026

Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Disney Princess actor Ming-Na Wen has joined the series as Hera, the queen of Olympus and matriarch to all the Greek gods. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026

At Santa Teresita’s Xokol, chef Xrysw Ruelas is a storyteller of ancestral Mexican ingredients and matriarchs. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2026

The killing of a family matriarch went unsolved for 19 years until detectives said an informant connected Perez to the crime. —Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matriarch

• disembark
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark
• marc

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