matriarch

American  

[may-tree-ahrk] / ˈmeɪ triˌɑrk /

noun

• matriarchs
  plural

1. the female head of a family or tribal line.

2. a woman who is the founder or dominant member of a community or group.

3. a venerable old woman.

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matriarch British  

/ ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑːk /

noun

1. a woman who dominates an organization, community, etc

2. the female head of a tribe or family, esp in a matriarchy

3. a very old or venerable woman

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• matriarchalism
  noun
• matriarchal
  adjective
• matriarchic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• matriarchs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of matriarch

First recorded in 1600–10; matri- + -arch

Explanation

Rose Kennedy was the matriarch of the Kennedy clan — she was the female head of the family. This noun can also be used metaphorically. For instance, Alice Waters could be called the matriarch of Chez Panisse and the generation of chefs that her revolutionary restaurant inspired. Although matriarch was created as a parallel term to patriarch, this eighteenth-century new creation was based on a false etymology. Although patri- might look related to the Latin pater "father," it actually comes from the Greek patria "family." Presumably, it was assumed that such a person would be a man. In any case, patriarch has come to mean the male head of a family or clan, while matriarch is used if the head of a family or clan is female.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

matriarch matriarchs

The streamer and Shondaland announced Thursday that an untitled spinoff about the early life of the future matriarch of the Bridgerton clan is in the works.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner has once again removed her Hidden Hills, Calif., mansion from the market—after wavering over the sale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Kardashian matriarch and “momager” extraordinaire Kris Jenner has once again removed her iconic Hidden Hills, Calif., mansion from the market—after wavering over the sale.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Haji Zada, who has been living in Fort Worth, Texas, was accused by prosecutors of being the "matriarch" of the group, who had worked "to radicalize the family".

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Again and again, the matriarch of the household wipes my sadness away with the end of her sari.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

As long as this hunger continues and audiences show up for “The Faithful,” the producers have a wealth of stories to tell beyond the great matriarchs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026

Our services are heavy on the patriarchs—and, for some, the matriarchs too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

In “Nonnas,” Vince Vaughn stars as a fictionalized Scaravella, who opens a restaurant that centers the food and lives of matriarchs.

From Salon ● May 14, 2025

For nearly 70 years, she played Peggy Woolley in the long-running radio drama: one of the best-loved matriarchs in British broadcasting.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2024

As the two matriarchs hauled me through the door, they told Aunt Bushy not to go to school but stay behind and mind the house and the children.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• matron