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
Nowadays, the five members of the famed group have stepped into the role of moms themselves and are now matriarchs of their own families.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Set in Washington Territory, circa 1854, The Abandons revolves around the matriarchs of two very different families, payed by Headey and Anderson.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
After the death of their youngest sister, Sylvia and Helen attempt to navigate their grief, but a slight over a slice of apple cake keeps the matriarchs of the family in a decade-long feud.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Created by Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), the Netflix Western stars powerhouse performers Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey as matriarchs on opposite ends of the class divide in 1850s Oregon.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Set in the Washington Territory in 1854, the seven-episode series follows two warring matriarchs and their respective families.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Those not killed in the ambush of the Van Ness estate watch the house burn to the ground, wondering who—if anyone—will survive in the long-brewing battle of the matriarchs.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Unable to attend the hearings to hear those words were Joan and Terry, the aging family matriarchs who have never wavered in their support, the cousins said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Keaton became the go-to actress for family matriarchs and long-suffering wives in the years that followed, with memorable performances in The Other Sister, The Family Stone, and Town & Country.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Set in Washington Territory, circa 1854, The Abandons revolves around the matriarchs of two very different families, payed by Headey and Anderson.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
After the death of their youngest sister, Sylvia and Helen attempt to navigate their grief, but a slight over a slice of apple cake keeps the matriarchs of the family in a decade-long feud.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Created by Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), the Netflix Western stars powerhouse performers Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey as matriarchs on opposite ends of the class divide in 1850s Oregon.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Set in the Washington Territory in 1854, the seven-episode series follows two warring matriarchs and their respective families.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Those not killed in the ambush of the Van Ness estate watch the house burn to the ground, wondering who—if anyone—will survive in the long-brewing battle of the matriarchs.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Unable to attend the hearings to hear those words were Joan and Terry, the aging family matriarchs who have never wavered in their support, the cousins said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Keaton became the go-to actress for family matriarchs and long-suffering wives in the years that followed, with memorable performances in The Other Sister, The Family Stone, and Town & Country.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matriarchs. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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