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 In a sign of their lasting impact, Iranian director Mohsen Gharaei arrives in Venice this year with Falling House, a prophetic work warning of the crisis building in Iran after decades of oppressive, patriarchal rule by the Islamic Republic regime. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 In her 1974 novel The Hearing Trumpet, a nonagenarian vegetarian heroine named Marian rebels against patriarchal institutions. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The paternal-line male succession was stipulated for the first time in the 1890 Imperial House Law, when Japan promoted patriarchal systems. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Across the globe, anti-gender campaigning is frequently tied to right-wing nationalism, white supremacy, and assertions of patriarchal power. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 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
  • So, for example, 4 NAZA would mean four other people killed — women, children, elderly, the term doesn’t differentiate.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In the film, Efira plays Marie-Lou, who runs a care facility outside Paris and pushes for gentler treatment of its elderly residents.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of elderly
Adjective
  • The Illinois native returned to his priestly roots with his last TV appearance as Father Tobias on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.
    — Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Parsi priesthood is hereditary, meaning all the boys here have been born into priestly families.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Definition of priestly
Adjective
  • The former England youth and then 10-time senior Ghana international is still only 25 and has over 100 games of Premier League experience with Chelsea and Brighton.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The company officially opened the new Austin Innovation Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Silicon Labs senior leaders and employees, as well as representatives from the State of Texas.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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