patriarch

Definition of patriarchnext
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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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 patriarch The five-person clan (including a charming Max Greenfield as patriarch Ted, and Eitan Friedman and Matan Friedman as those wild brothers) live in relative domestic tranquility in Small Town Anywhere, USA. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Not surprisingly, her own take on eternal life echoed that of the fictional family patriarch, Angus Tuck. Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026 The Baker family, who previously lost their patriarch (Taye Diggs) in season 5, faces peril once again when Olivia (a returning Samantha Logan) seems to have complications with her pregnancy. Kat Pettibone, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026 Cliven Bundy, the family patriarch, rallied hundreds of supporters to block the roundup of his cattle, sparking a days long armed standoff between law enforcement and the Bundy group near the town of Bunkerville, outside of Las Vegas. Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
  • Adela follows her grandfather’s footsteps while transforming his political and anthropological work into art, weaving a sound map from languages at risk of disappearing.
    Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Beam family was at Raimondi Park sporting shirts with artwork of their beloved dad, husband, brother and grandfather.
    Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Melanie Zanetti will reprise her role as Bluey’s mom, Chilli, from the series, with Richard Jeffrey returning to voice Bluey’s dad, Bandit.
    Tanya Fedak, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Created by Joe Brumm, Bluey centers around an Australian blue heeler pup and her family -- mom Chilli, dad bandit and little sister Bingo.
    Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Vernon, meanwhile, is encouraging people to remember that there was a man, a husband and father behind the headlines.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His six children inherited the franchise through a family trust, with Jeanie continuing to oversee the team’s business operations and succeeding her father as the Lakers’ representative on the NBA Board of Governors.
    Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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