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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 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 But with tact and humanity, this materfamilias has still calmed the waters. — Boyd Van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2019 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
  • Donna is the matriarch of a wealthy Miami-area Adelson family.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Florence Pugh leads the cast of the series as Cathy Ames, the matriarch of the Trask family and a Devil figure in the novel who serves as its principal antagonist.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of matriarch
Noun
  • An extremely unattractive teenage girl who resembled a forty-year-old matron in a women’s prison rather than a young woman fresh on the road to self-discovery approached me.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Cohran was a rarity in 1936 — a female police officer, known then as a police matron.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of matron
Noun
  • In 1892 her father and stepmother, Andrew and Abby Borden, were brutally killed with a hatchet.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Her stepmother is better known as Ashley Dupré, the escort wrapped up in the middle of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stepmother
Noun
  • The roundtable of women appear hot and bothered that de Lesseps interrupted Patton’s touching tribute to her mom.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Others, for certain, are incubated by gridiron versions of cheer moms, who shuffle their sons around in search of stardom.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of mom
Noun
  • But with Earle coming into the ring with fighting words, who says a mama bear can’t bite back?
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Staying Cozy Rani and her mama rocked matching cream coats in winter 2024 while walking hand-in-hand on a cold trip.
    — Emy LaCroix, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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