matronly

American  

[mey-truhn-lee] / ˈmeɪ trən li /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a matron; maturely dignified; stately.

2. characteristic of or suitable for a matron.

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matronly British  

/ ˈmeɪtrənlɪ /

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or suitable for a matron; staid and dignified in a manner associated with a middle-aged, usually plump, woman

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Other Word Forms

• matronliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of matronly

First recorded in 1650–60; matron + -ly

Explanation

If someone describes you as matronly, they think you look or act like a middle-aged woman. So, if someone calls your dress matronly and you think it's hip, you may be sadly mistaken. It's never a compliment to call someone matronly, as it brings to mind all kinds of stereotypes about being an adult woman, particularly one who's married and has kids. In fact, matronly comes from matron, which today primarily means "female prison warden," but which once meant "married woman," especially one who is respectable, unadventurous, and mature.

Example Sentences

Matronly Elizabeth I loves the dashing Earl of Essex, but politics come first.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2019

Matronly, smartly dressed Elizabeth Duncan, separated from her husband when Frank was a child, held her son's hand in court, applauded when he won a case, tongue-lashed the district attorney when he lost.

From Time Magazine Archive

Matronly Yvonne Vasseur, 69, has had but one consuming passion in her life: her son Jacques, now 45.

From Time Magazine Archive

Matronly English dignity suffered on another occasion when a sergeant inquired of a middle-aged woman as to the number of men she could billet in her house.

From The Amateur Army by MacGill, Patrick

Matronly, and dignified in her air and bearing, her featured bore the impress of past anxiety, but across them flitted at times the consciousness of approaching joy.

From Mathieu Ropars: et cetera by Young, William