patriarchal

adjective

Definition of patriarchalnext
1
as in clerical

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in older

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Dissimilar Words

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 patriarchal More determined than ever, Elsa challenges patriarchal structures and carves out a path for her independent motherhood. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 More determined than ever, Elsa challenges patriarchal structures and creates space for her autonomous motherhood. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026 The novel shows how women can reinforce patriarchal norms by enforcing ideals of ritual purity against other women. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 Others, though—Cahun and Moore, but also Victor Brauner—saw how fascism was inextricable from patriarchal power, and sought to free themselves from the confines of gender altogether. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for patriarchal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchal
  1. clerical
  2. geriatric
  3. apostolic
  4. elderly
  5. priestly
  6. senior
  7. papal
  8. matriarchal
Adjective
  • The best family offices do not treat trust administration as clerical work.
    — Michael Gold CFP, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Critics of Iran's clerical rulers hoped initially that Iran's government would collapse amid a bombing campaign that killed Iran's most senior military and religious officials, including its supreme leader.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of clerical
Adjective
  • His main competition, the geriatric Aaron Jones, should be relegated to backup duty.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The geriatric ERs also saved Medicare up to about $3,000 a visit, according to an earlier study Hwang led.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of geriatric
Adjective
  • On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II set out from Rome on an apostolic journey, as papal trips away from the Vatican are called.
    — Paul Elie, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of apostolic
Adjective
  • Tamang said her family was able to rush to higher ground, carrying her elderly grandmother with them, but their home was washed away.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The second half of the novel focuses on Alice, an elderly woman who suffers from dementia.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • Parsi priesthood is hereditary, meaning all the boys here have been born into priestly families.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Before heading to seminary and taking up the priestly collar, Borba enjoyed red carpets and professional acclaim for his business acumen.
    — David Begnaud, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of priestly
Adjective
  • There isn’t room on a roster to list all the positions where North Chicago senior Amari Earl could play in a single game.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Iran is determined to smother any internal unrest Rezaei’s appointment came in a recent set of decrees by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, that formally set Iran’s new senior leadership, including top military posts.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of senior
Adjective
  • For Leo, that distinction comes from making the highly recognizable papal wardrobe part of his own public style.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ghost have shared the new trailer for 2 Big to Rig, the upcoming concert film documenting the Swedish papal heavy metal outfit’s 2025 gigs in Mexico City.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
Definition of papal
Adjective
  • Lemurs also have complex social hierarchies and are uniquely matriarchal for primates.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 July 2026
  • Sinclaire has an agent for a memoir, and Gonzalez is thinking about writing a book about matriarchal communities.
    — Kayla Levy, Curbed, 25 June 2026
Definition of matriarchal

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patriarchal
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Cite this Entry

“Patriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchal. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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