patriarch

play

noun pa·tri·arch \ ˈpā-trē-ˌärk \

Definition of patriarch

1 a :one of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people

Abraham was a patriarch of the Israelites.

b :a man who is father or founder

The newspaper patriarch celebrated his 90th birthday.

c (1) :the oldest member or representative of a group

the cypress … is the patriarch of native trees, going back to the time of the dinosaur
—Amer. Guide Series: Texas

(2) :a venerable old man

a whiskered patriarch, spry for his age
—Frank Sullivan

d :a man who is head of a patriarchy

2 a :any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern Orthodox sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops

b :the head of any of various Eastern churches

c :a Roman Catholic bishop next in rank to the pope with purely titular or with metropolitan (see ²metropolitan 1) jurisdiction

3 :a Mormon of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction

See patriarch defined for English-language learners

See patriarch defined for kids

Examples of patriarch in a Sentence

Our grandfather was the family's patriarch.
The tribe's patriarch ruled for 20 years before his death.

Recent Examples of patriarch from the Web

The foundry remained operational after its patriarch’s death but shut down in 1828 after producing a total of 398 bells.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Why Religious Freedom and Diversity Flourished in Early America," 15 July 2017
The family patriarch acknowledges that there have been some missteps in his efforts to rehabilitate his nephews.

— emily feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, "Can ISIS's Indoctrinated Kids be Saved From a Future of Violent Jihad?," 6 July 2017
But who are these patriarchs whose blood saved the West, anyway?

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "Trump tweets a video with a very unfortunate Fox News chyron," 6 July 2017
For Archie (Bill Theisen), an old-fashioned family patriarch, moving forward involves reaching back, by sprucing up the inn’s backyard and introducing a then-obscure tradition called a fish boil.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Hollywood visits Door County in new musical 'Oklahoma in Wisconsin'," 26 June 2017
The festivities, attended by hundreds of people, celebrated a man who has been a fixture in the real estate and mortgage community for nearly 65 years: the patriarch of The Kislak Organization.

— by cindy krischer goodman, miamiherald, "‘The real estate business is still the same’," 25 June 2017
Ventimiglia kills viewers with kindness as the Pearson clan's patriarch, Jack.

— brennan carley, GQ, "Milo Ventimiglia of This Is Us Wears the Summer’s Best Suits," 23 June 2017
When the family’s patriarch adopts the Liverpool street urchin Heathcliff and brings him back to the Heights, everything proceeds to go haywire.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Withering Heights' a supremely silly ode to Brontë," 22 June 2017
The show, which featured the Home Improvement star as a conservative patriarch grappling with liberal modern culture, was cancelled in May around the network’s upfronts after six seasons on the air.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Democrats despondent, Trump emboldened after GOP victory in Georgia special election," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patriarch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of patriarch

Middle English patriarche, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin patriarcha, from Greek patriarchēs, from patria lineage (from patr-, patēr father) + -archēs -arch — more at father

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

PATRIARCH Defined for Kids

patriarch

play

noun pa·tri·arch \ ˈpā-trē-ˌärk \

Definition of patriarch for Students

1 :a man who heads a family, group, or government

2 :a respected old man

Word Root of patriarch

The Latin word pater, meaning “father,” and the Greek word patēr give us the root pater or patr. Anyone or anything paternal, such as an aunt or uncle, is related to one's father. A patriarch is a father and ruler of a family or tribe. A patriot is a person who loves his or her fatherland or country. A patron is a person who gives support and approval for a project or artist, as fathers support and approve of their children.