matriarch

noun

ma·​tri·​arch ˈmā-trē-ˌärk 

: a woman who rules or dominates a family, group, or state

specifically : a mother who is head and ruler of her family and descendants

Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.

Did you know?

A matriarchy is a social unit governed by a woman or group of women. It isn't certain that a true matriarchal society has ever existed, so matriarchy is usually treated as an imaginative concept. But there are societies in which relatedness through women rather than men is stressed, and elements of matriarchy may be stronger in certain societies than they are in most of the Western world. And most of us can point to families in which a woman has become the dominant figure, or grande dame, or matriarch.

Synonyms

• dame
• dowager
• grande dame
• matron

Examples of matriarch in a Sentence

Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.

The tribe's matriarch ruled for 20 years before her death.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Rocky's birthday on Friday, Nov. 1, the Kardashian matriarch, 68, shared a sweet post on Instagram in honor the milestone. —Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

An uncle and a grandmother were among those killed in the 34-day conflict, but a loquat tree the matriarch had planted next to their home endured. —Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Thankfully, Rosy, by that time, was very bonded with another cow, the matriarch, Susie Moo. —David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024

Karla Sofia Gascón stars as Emilia Pérez, a cartel boss turned loving trans matriarch, who seeks the help of her attorney (Zoe Saldaña) to reunite with her former wife (Selena Gomez) and kids after transitioning. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

matriarch

noun

ma·​tri·​arch ˈmā-trē-ˌärk 

: a woman who rules a family, group, or state

especially : a mother who is head of her family and descendants

matriarchal

ˌmā-trē-ˈär-kəl 

adjective