patriarchal

American  

[pey-tree-ahr-kuhl] / ˌpeɪ triˈɑr kəl /

Sometimes patriarchic,

adjective

1. of or relating to a patriarch, the male head of a family, tribe, community, church, order, etc..

   my father's conservative, patriarchal ways.

2. characteristic of an entity, family, church, etc., controlled by men.

   a patriarchal church in which women are not allowed to hold leadership roles.

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Other Word Forms

• antipatriarchal adjective
• antipatriarchally adverb
• patriarchally adverb
• patriarchically adverb
• quasi-patriarchal adjective
• unpatriarchal adjective
• unpatriarchally adverb

Etymology

Origin of patriarchal

First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin patriarchālis, equivalent to patriarch(a) patriarch ( def. ) + Latin -ālis -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Not only has Gyllenhaal taken the reins from cinema’s patriarchal collective, but she’s implemented a distinctly feminine gaze, as complex and fascinating as the social implications tucked away between the lines of Shelley’s original text.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Ancient, patriarchal and oracular, Tennyson was not merely the poet laureate of England; he was, like his queen, a symbol of the British Empire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

"It is a way of asserting women's place in a world and a system that remains deeply patriarchal," stressed Centeno, an expert in non-verbal communication.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

The film strings together the stories of several women, some of whom have just been released from prison, as they help each other navigate a restricted existence in a patriarchal reality.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025

“But, Lord, ‘subverting the patriarchal paradigm’—it’s like she wrote the speech.”

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

Related Words

• autocratic
• dictatorial
• imperious
• rigid
• strict
• totalitarian
• tyrannical