matrilineal
adjective
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A person's lineage is his or her line of ancestors. So matrilineal means basically "through the mother's line", just as patrilineal means "through the father's line". Matrilineality is an important concept in anthropology; among other things, it usually determines who will inherit property on a person's death. Though families that follow the European model take the father's name and are therefore patrilineal, matrilineal societies have existed around the world, including among various American Indian tribes.
Examples of matrilineal in a Sentence
Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025
However, this genetic and skeletal evidence implies that women were likely influential and could have been shaping group identity through matrilineal lines.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
Each portrait was a depiction of a member of Baade’s matrilineal family, mostly women, and all of whom were born or lived between 1690-1740.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Because of the law of matrilineal descent, the majority of candidates who sought him out were women.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for matrilineal
Cite this Entry
“Matrilineal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matrilineal. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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matrilineal
adjective
ˌmā-
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