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.
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Recent Examples of patriarchs
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
Perhaps, for a man who has always lived in the shadow of distant patriarchs, the only thing worse than perpetually wondering what his father really thought would be finding out for sure.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 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
Forty years after opening, Union Square Cafe is one of the prosperous patriarchs of the New York restaurant world.
—Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
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
Perhaps, for a man who has always lived in the shadow of distant patriarchs, the only thing worse than perpetually wondering what his father really thought would be finding out for sure.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 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
Forty years after opening, Union Square Cafe is one of the prosperous patriarchs of the New York restaurant world.
—Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchs
Noun
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Research also shows mothers and fathers kill their children at similar rates.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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The captains were the fathers, or at least the grandfathers, of this genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Her grandfathers were military.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
College-age amateurs competing alongside former champions old enough to be their grandfathers is a longstanding Masters tradition.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Moms and dads, bussed over from Rikers Island in chains, are uncuffed upon arrival at the museum and reunited with their kids for a rare, emotional and often bittersweet visit outside prison walls.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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These dads are back raising little chicks well after many parents have embraced the empty nest!—
Anya Leon,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchs. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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