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.
Related Words
Relevance
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
Available only with a six-speed manual transmission, the GT3 Touring gives an authentic nod to its Porsche patriarch, the 1973 Carrera RS.
—
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2025
When the rest of the cast, sans Burrell, reunited in 2023, some fans speculated that the Dunphy patriarch had died because of his absence.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
To hear the islanders tell it, the patriarch, a former Wall Street wunderkind named Jonathan Lehrer, didn’t have the best reputation.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Philemon Bryan, the patriarch, was a farmer, entrepreneur and former mayor of New Smyrna Beach.
—Amanda Rosa
october 23, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2025
When the rest of the cast, sans Burrell, reunited in 2023, some fans speculated that the Dunphy patriarch had died because of his absence.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
To hear the islanders tell it, the patriarch, a former Wall Street wunderkind named Jonathan Lehrer, didn’t have the best reputation.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Philemon Bryan, the patriarch, was a farmer, entrepreneur and former mayor of New Smyrna Beach.
—Amanda Rosa
october 23, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
-
El Camello says his grandfather always had cars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Named after his grandfather, the late master distiller Booker Noe, this blended whiskey changes with every release, and often highlights some very unusual components (bourbon made from brown rice, for example).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
And Natalie is still justifiably concerned about her dad, calling him up during his night from hell and getting no information from him.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Like his character on the show, Brown is a girl dad.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In a social media video, Madi said her father's health declined in the months following an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The introduction was from my father, who was a friend of his in another lifetime.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share