patriarchs

noun

plural of patriarch
as in fathers
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 patriarchs The patriarchs of élite white families banded together, organizing secret paramilitaries that could be activated on a moment’s notice. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026 Sometimes finding the right trees can be an adventure, hiking into forests and mountains to find the oldest trees, patriarchs that hold centuries of information. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 June 2026 Instead, Reynolds observes that these sober men bore little resemblance to the roistering patriarchs of the remote plantations. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 Rebekah, in the Hebrew Bible, matriarch who is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob, both key patriarchs. — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026 What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever? — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026 After that session, the three patriarchs began reaching out to other heavyweight clans. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025 In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches. — Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchs
  1. fathers
  2. grandfathers
  3. dads
Noun
  • In Brothers, both McConaughey and Harrelson’s characters look back at their fathers’ legacies while also navigating being good fathers themselves.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Other people are rarely the focus of blame in cases where fathers kill their children.
    — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of fathers
Noun
  • Born in Russell County, Virginia, Hubbard was largely raised by his grandfathers, both union coal miners with missing fingers, and still speaks with an Appalachian twang.
    — Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sorrell, whose grandfathers both played in the majors, slugged 23 home runs and 20 doubles in 56 games while drawing 33 walks and striking out 61 times.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of grandfathers
Noun
  • There were a bunch of kids in line, and many dads or older brothers who were interested in seeing him (autographs were for 12 and under only).
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But the pilot is now out in the world and Hal Jordan — the most famous Green Lantern of DC Comics, played by one of the more beloved TV dads of our time, Friday Night Lights alum Kyle Chandler — is dead.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dads

Browse Nearby Words

patriarchal
patriarchs
patrician
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchs. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cogent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All