Thesaurus results for MATRIARCH

matriarch

noun

ˈmā-trē-ˌärk

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

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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 matriarch This particular adaptation bookends the story with the character Alba (played in young adulthood by Rocío Hernández), the granddaughter of the clairvoyant matriarch Clara del Valle (played in older age by Dolores Fonzi) and the conservative, volatile patriarch Esteban Trueba (Alfonso Herrera). —

Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 Upending age-old narrative traditions, Paul’s heroism takes a sinister turn when Herbert reveals that the Bene Gesserit, an Illuminati-like secretive order of psychic matriarchs, has long been conditioning the Fremen to expect the arrival of a messiah, or mahdi, in their native tongue. —

Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026 Related Stories Legendary powerhouse performer Michelle Pfeiffer, who anchors the series as Clyburn matriarch Stacy, is the sole lead acting submission. —

Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson, the family's matriarch, while Colman Domingo portrays Joe Jackson, the father and manager who helped launch the Jackson 5. —

Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 22 Apr. 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