patriarchal
adjective
pa·tri·ar·chal
ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl 
: 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
In this view, the only way to boost birth rates is to return to patriarchal structures, in which women focus on child-rearing and homemaking while men act as their families’ sole breadwinners.
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Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
In Queen Mother, Farmer takes a clear-eyed look at Moore’s foibles, noting her absenteeism during her son’s formative years, her embrace of patriarchal hierarchy in Black communities, and her exhortations for Black women to embrace polygyny to facilitate nation building.
—Dara T. Mathis, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, 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.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
This biography dissects the patriarchal and anti-Semitic currents influencing mid-20th-century literary culture, sifting through the past to harvest insights on the present.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
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Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
In Queen Mother, Farmer takes a clear-eyed look at Moore’s foibles, noting her absenteeism during her son’s formative years, her embrace of patriarchal hierarchy in Black communities, and her exhortations for Black women to embrace polygyny to facilitate nation building.
—Dara T. Mathis, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, 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.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
This biography dissects the patriarchal and anti-Semitic currents influencing mid-20th-century literary culture, sifting through the past to harvest insights on the present.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarchal
Cite this Entry
“Patriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarchal. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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