materfamilias

noun

Definition of materfamiliasnext
as in matriarch

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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 materfamilias But with tact and humanity, this materfamilias has still calmed the waters. — Boyd Van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2019 The novel recounts the history and hardships of the Binewski clan, carnival folk whose pater- and materfamilias, Al and Crystal Lil, create their own freak show. — Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2022 Though the Roundabout production, which opened on Tuesday evening, stars Elizabeth McGovern as the materfamilias, the story really is Kay’s. — Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for materfamilias
  1. matriarch
  2. matron
  3. stepmother
  4. mom
  5. mama
Noun
  • Brown remembered that Sarah Parsley, the octogenarian matriarch of the family, greeted partygoers from a wheelchair, assisted by a Black nurse.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
  • After high school, the Kelce matriarch became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of matriarch
Noun
  • Since then, Hills has worked in various hospitals and wards, including spending 10 years as a ward sister and a matron, which are both senior roles for nurses.
    — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
  • How did a young Upper East Side matron with a small daughter and a dormant career as an art historian get here?
    — Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 27 June 2026
Definition of matron
Noun
  • Her stepmother was able to break open and widen a small hole, and pull her father out of the building.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • Sara Nicole Graham's stepmother, Connie Graham, is now charged with first-degree murder, while two of her sons are accused of helping cover up the crime, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of stepmother
Noun
  • Chiefs game Swift made headlines when she was photographed sitting next to Kelce's mom, Donna, at a Kansas City Chiefs game in September 2023.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • They were first spotted together as a couple in September 2023, when Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game alongside Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce.
    — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
Definition of mom
Noun
  • My mama strains both the yogurt and the cucumber before mixing everything together.
    — Georgina Hayden, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026
  • After making off with a substantial stack of cash from her job to fund a new life with boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin), she gets waylaid by a rainstorm and stops to spend the night at the Bates Motel, run by awkward mama’s boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Definition of mama

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Cite this Entry

“Materfamilias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/materfamilias. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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