PATRIARCHAL Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

patriarchal

adjective

Definition of patriarchal

as in clerical

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in older

Related Words

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 The use of pseudonyms by female writers born in the nineteenth century is typically understood as a feminist loophole around the patriarchal suppression of women’s writing. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 In the early years of Mormonism, polygamy was understood to reinstate the patriarchal and polygamous cultural norms of the Hebrew patriarchs, as depicted in the Hebrew Bible. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026 That’s not to make excuses, but to put in context, what is also a sputtering, screwball-y film about masculine roles in a waning patriarchal society. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 Bangladeshi cinema has been equally insistent on subverting patriarchal stereotypes. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patriarchal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchal

Adjective

By the 1980s, England was beginning its turn away from churchgoing as a cornerstone of society, so nothing as extroverted or nakedly clerical as gospel choirs would fit a downcast, monochromatic land anyhow.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Rubio said the inclusive presentation was in keeping with the effort, begun by Pope Francis, to make the church less clerical and more reflective of the real world.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of clerical

Adjective

Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Ossoff, seen as a potential 2028 contender, said geriatric politicians have little comprehension of AI technology.

— Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of geriatric

Adjective

Beyond his role within the church, the Pope is also a key international figure, frequently speaking out on high-profile topics such as artificial intelligence and immigration, and making apostolic journeys abroad.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of apostolic

Adjective

An elderly pedestrian was killed after he was struck by two vehicles on Interstate 80 early Thursday morning, authorities said.

— Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Disney actor Erik von Detten is being sued for allegedly scamming an elderly couple in a bizarre precious-metals scheme.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 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

Autonomous attacks powered by AI agents are becoming more common, Jessica Ji, a senior research analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) told Fortune.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
The approach is starting to resonate across Hawai’i’s tourism industry, says Jhana Young, sustainable seafood senior manager with Conservation International Hawai’i.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of senior

Adjective

Edward Berger, whose papal selection movie Conclave was set within the walls of Vatican City, opened the conference and market with a fascinating look into his filmmaking process and views on how the movie business has evolved.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
What began as an academic dispute became a public controversy, and questions about indulgences soon expanded into larger debates about salvation, Scripture, and papal authority.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of papal

Adjective

With Madonna so much in the news and much chatter about the coming of a matriarchal age, breasts have come to the fore and the brassiere has once again come out from under.

— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
The home of the witches led by Supreme Cordelia Goode (Sarah Paulson) contrasts the devil’s penthouse with its reappearance, according to production designer Anu Schwartz, its opalescent interiors embodying the bright magic of the matriarchal coven.

— Mekita Rivas, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of matriarchal

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patriarch

patriarchal

patriarchs

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“Patriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchal. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of patriarchal

adjective

Example Sentences

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