patriarchal

adjective

pa·​tri·​ar·​chal ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl How to pronounce patriarchal (audio)
Synonyms of patriarchalnext
: of, relating to, or being a patriarch or patriarchy
a patriarchal culture
a patriarchal religion

Examples of patriarchal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Still, she gets frustrated by the patriarchal gatekeeping of women's stories; research shows female filmmakers continue to be widely underrepresented at both the box office and the Oscars. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026 After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026 The minister wearing that dress rubbed people who hold those patriarchal values the wrong way, both men and women alike. Essence, 5 Jan. 2026 Similarly, Urbano’s gigantic tableau vivant calls up an indeterminate realm that contains both truth and fiction—in this case, not only to materialize allegorical motifs but also to comment on changing notions of masculinity, gender, and the patriarchal inheritance of art and architecture. Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patriarchal

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patriarchal was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Patriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarchal. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.

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