as in matrons
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
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Recent Examples of matriarchs
The matriarchs who fed the team.
—
Ricardo Adé,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs.
—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Long before Helen Mirren played tenacious and terrifying matriarchs in 1923 and MobLand, the Oscar-winning icon had already proven her ability to play tough-as-nails characters in the classic British procedural Prime Suspect.
—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
For most of its centuries-long history, su filindeu was a tradition passed down through a single line of matriarchs from Nuoro, a town in the mountainous interior of the island.
—
New York Times,
19 May 2026
But Sterling also likes to return to her roots and whip up a simple 15-minute pasta dinner that reminds her of one of her beloved matriarchs.
—
Karla Walsh,
CNN Money,
12 May 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
Inouye said she was inspired to do this by none other than one of the matriarchs of the movement, Alice Waters of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse.
—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Even outside of traditional television, the reality TV model has made millionaires of even more toxic matriarchs such as Ruby Framke, who amassed over 2 million YouTube subscribers by pimping out her children for clicks while criminally abusing them in secret.
—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Ricardo Adé,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs.
—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Long before Helen Mirren played tenacious and terrifying matriarchs in 1923 and MobLand, the Oscar-winning icon had already proven her ability to play tough-as-nails characters in the classic British procedural Prime Suspect.
—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
For most of its centuries-long history, su filindeu was a tradition passed down through a single line of matriarchs from Nuoro, a town in the mountainous interior of the island.
—
New York Times,
19 May 2026
But Sterling also likes to return to her roots and whip up a simple 15-minute pasta dinner that reminds her of one of her beloved matriarchs.
—
Karla Walsh,
CNN Money,
12 May 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
Inouye said she was inspired to do this by none other than one of the matriarchs of the movement, Alice Waters of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse.
—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Even outside of traditional television, the reality TV model has made millionaires of even more toxic matriarchs such as Ruby Framke, who amassed over 2 million YouTube subscribers by pimping out her children for clicks while criminally abusing them in secret.
—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matriarchs
matrons
Noun
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There was also a shift toward elaborate descriptions of what society matrons wore to events, and again, women were believed to be more able to provide these verbal illustrations.
Cite this Entry
“Matriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matriarchs. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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