patriarch

noun

pa·​tri·​arch ˈpā-trē-ˌärk How to pronounce patriarch (audio)
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 dinosaurAmer. Guide Series: Texas
(2)
: a venerable old man
a whiskered patriarch, spry for his ageFrank 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 metropolitan entry 2 sense 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

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Directed by Ma Lin and starring Huang Bo, Fan Chengcheng, Yin Tao and Li Jiaqi, the comedy-drama follows a coastal-town family – led by a once-tough patriarch – who rally together in hard times and push for a comeback. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025 After Howard's gray casket, draped in flowers, was carried through the pews, Howard's family remembered their sometimes-stubborn patriarch as an avid reader, a devout, food-loving father, grandfather and member of his religious community. Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025 Ferguson played Mitch Pritchett, Bowen, 55, played his on-screen sister Claire Dunphy, and O'Neill, 79, starred as the family patriarch, Jay Pritchett. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025 In the film, following a pair of rich siblings (Hill & Wiig) who are cut off from their parents, Lane will play the family patriarch, with Midler portraying his wife. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for patriarch

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of patriarch was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarch. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

patriarch

noun
pa·​tri·​arch ˈpā-trē-ˌärk How to pronounce patriarch (audio)
1
a
: one of the Old Testament fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
b
: the father and ruler of a family or tribe
c
: an old man deserving respect
2
: any of various bishops of highest rank and dignity
patriarchal
ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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