matriarch
- the female head of a family or tribal line.
- a woman who is the founder or dominant member of a community or group.
- a venerable old woman.
Origin of matriarch
Examples from the Web for matriarch
Contemporary Examples of matriarch
One of those families is the Cucho family, headed by 69-year-old matriarch Natividad Cucho Velasquez.
In the main house lived his eighty-year-old nonna, the matriarch, reliably dressed in black in the custom of Italian widows.
A Young Chef Travels to Calabria, Italy, and Learns the Old Ways of CookingCurtis Stone
November 28, 2013
If indeed the suit was a gamble by the Jackson matriarch to amass a sizable bank account of her own, it did not pay off.
Sorry, Mrs. Jackson: How the King of Pop’s Mother Lost Her Billion-Dollar LawsuitDiane Dimond
October 3, 2013
The clamor would have ceased as the matriarch led a retreat and the danger would have seemed to pass.
Listen to her story about making jewelry with Rebecca Lolosoli, matriarch of the Umoja Uaso women's village.
Women in the World 2011 Video HighlightsFebruary 10, 2012
Historical Examples of matriarch
Matriar′chalism, the character of possessing matriarchal customs; Matriar′chate, the position of a matriarch.
The fault of the drama lies in the uncertain conception of the characters, and particularly of that of the Matriarch herself.
Henrik IbsenEdmund Gosse
matriarch
- a woman who dominates an organization, community, etc
- the female head of a tribe or family, esp in a matriarchy
- a very old or venerable woman