matriarchal

American  

[mey-tree-ahr-kuhl] / ˌmeɪ triˈɑr kəl /

Sometimes matriarchic

adjective

1. of or relating to a matriarch, the female head of a family, tribe, community, etc..

   her matriarchal qualities of love and compassion.

2. characteristic of an entity, family, etc., controlled by women.

   matriarchal cultures in India.

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Etymology

Origin of matriarchal

First recorded in 1840–45; matriarch ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

You can describe your family as matriarchal if it is full of strong women, headed by your feisty grandmother. A group or society is matriarchal when it is run by women. Anthropologists use the adjective matriarchal to talk about societies that are headed by females. The word comes from the Greek matēr, "mother," and archein, "to rule." The term matriarchal arose as a balance to the traditional patriarchal, male-ruled, concept of society, although feminists and anthropologists often use it to describe societies in which women have equal rights, as well as families or tribes headed by mothers or grandmothers.

Example Sentences

Matriarchal power – in deities, myths, archetypes – has been a perpetual touchstone in Amos’s work, and is still present; I notice a pack of tarot-like Goddess Oracle cards on her library desk.

From The Guardian • Sep. 7, 2017

Matriarchal strength is compounded by the traditional Vietnamese view of the family as monolithic and united against all outsiders, but in Mme.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• esteemed
• grand
• revered
• stately
• venerated