patriarchal

adjective

pa·​tri·​ar·​chal ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl How to pronounce patriarchal (audio)
: 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 Whether it be rooted in escapism, affirmation, or reclamation of self under the patriarchal gaze, the significance of this social-beauty trend’s popularity in today’s climate is not to be overlooked. Cierra Black, Essence, 19 Apr. 2024 Millennials were raised on a diet of toxic, patriarchal relationships on film and TV, where male characters spend the majority of their time treating female characters horrendously, and then redeeming themselves in the final 20 minutes with one grand gesture. Lorena O’Neil, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024 Bartholomew walked forward, clutching a staff, and ascended his patriarchal throne. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024 Yet, as in Victoria, the focus of these shows is, sometimes anachronistically, strong women forging legacies within a patriarchal culture. Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024 For teenage girls, the film held significant sway, portraying the journey of two women striving to break into soccer against the backdrop of a patriarchal industry. Assile Toufaily, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 The artist’s grandson Len Sobel — whose donation of five works to the Menil in 2020, spurred the museum to stage their exhibition, which includes around 30 paintings and drawings in total — sees obvious signs of misogyny and patriarchal snobbery. Helen Stoilas, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024 In a rigid and patriarchal system, these are often based on hierarchy and seniority. Patrick Frater, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024 Tight-knit, patriarchal and deeply religious, the whole village is aware of everyone else’s business — and that leads to gossip percolating in every corner. Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patriarchal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near patriarchal

Cite this Entry

“Patriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarchal. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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