matrilineal
inheriting or determining descent through the female line.
Origin of matrilineal
1- Also mat·ri·lin·e·ar [ma-truh-lin-ee-er, mey-] /ˌmæ trəˈlɪn i ər, ˌmeɪ-/ .
Other words from matrilineal
- mat·ri·lin·e·al·ly, mat·ri·lin·e·ar·ly, adverb
- Compare patrilineal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use matrilineal in a sentence
Descent was matrilinear, and a society known as matriarchy existed, as contrasted to the later patriarchy.
The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races | Sanger Brown, IIBut are we sure that there is only one type of matrilinear succession?
The Bronze Age and the Celtic World | Harold PeakeThey still have a strong element of descent in the matrilinear line and women aren't second-class citizens.
Border, Breed Nor Birth | Dallas McCord ReynoldsThese are the languages of the south central group of tribes with a 2-class system and matrilinear descent.
Man, Past and Present | Agustus Henry KeaneDionysius is the Son of his Mother because he issues from a matrilinear group.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology | Robert E. Park
British Dictionary definitions for matrilineal
/ (ˌmætrɪˈlɪnɪəl, ˌmeɪ-) /
relating to descent or kinship through the female line
Derived forms of matrilineal
- matrilineally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for matrilineal
[ (mat-ruh-lin-ee-uhl) ]
Tracing kinship and descent through the female line. (Compare patrilineal.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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