as in grandfather
a man who is the head of a family
Investors worried that the aging patriarch was soon to be replaced atop the family business by his less reliable oldest son.
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Recent Examples of patriarch
Clarke underwent a complete physical transformation to portray the Murdaugh patriarch.
—
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The Cards and Canes have the same program patriarch, Howard Schnellenberger, and competed over the same players.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of a royal patriarch ruling over voiceless subjects, America would be a fraternity of virtuous (male) citizens, created equal in their potential for self-government.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Purefoy is Laban,the patriarch of a complicated household and the older brother of Rebekah.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The Cards and Canes have the same program patriarch, Howard Schnellenberger, and competed over the same players.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of a royal patriarch ruling over voiceless subjects, America would be a fraternity of virtuous (male) citizens, created equal in their potential for self-government.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Purefoy is Laban,the patriarch of a complicated household and the older brother of Rebekah.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
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Smith and Christian’s respective grandfathers were their catalysts into vintage fashion.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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After his mother’s death, he was sent to study Urdu and Islamic calligraphy at his grandfather’s madrassa in Sidhpur, Gujarat.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The young Irwin is no doubt his dad’s mini-me, long an unofficial spokesperson for his beloved home.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
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Being a head coach, a husband, a dad.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The topic of nepotism came up in a new interview with Skarsgård in Vulture, when the outlet pointed out that many of his eight children — including Bill, Alexander, and Gustaf — have become actors like their father.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Unless another boy was injured, a boy with a father who resembled me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a sense this is a classic family drama: the struggle over the paterfamilias’s legacy, complete with allegations of late-in-life changes to the will.—
Benjamin Soskis,
Town & Country,
27 Oct. 2022
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Schumer’s actions as paterfamilias of Senate Democrats are often informed by his New York sensibilities.—
Grace Segers,
The New Republic,
13 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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