as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority
even though she was 87, the matriarch of the family knew everything that was going on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of matriarch
Seimetz portrays Paula, the obsessive matriarch grudgingly raising Agnes (Chase Infiniti), which is the Gilead name for Hannah, the now-teenaged daughter of Handmaid’s protagonist June (Elisabeth Moss).
—
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
The matriarch agreed to see her face-to-face instead.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Burden is an immigration attorney and the granddaughter of society matriarch Babe Paley.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The matriarch attempted to add Richard, who had been managing the stand since the 1990s, and her daughter Patricia Hernandez to the lease agreement in 2019.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
The matriarch agreed to see her face-to-face instead.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Burden is an immigration attorney and the granddaughter of society matriarch Babe Paley.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The matriarch attempted to add Richard, who had been managing the stand since the 1990s, and her daughter Patricia Hernandez to the lease agreement in 2019.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matriarch
Noun
-
The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
-
The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The matron on duty, Annie Leewright, booked the woman into jail.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The couple will spend the remainder of the early morning hours in a threesome with an elderly society matron, sucking on her earlobes.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matriarch. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
