matriarch

American  

[mey-tree-ahrk] / ˈmeɪ triˌɑrk /

noun

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

• matriarchal adjective
• matriarchalism noun
• matriarchic adjective

Etymology

Origin of matriarch

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

Example Sentences

As matriarch, you were fully invested in your new family, economically and emotionally.

From MarketWatch

By the time she put the property on the market, the reality TV matriarch confirmed that she had moved out and into another estate she purchased in the same tony community of Hidden Hills.

From MarketWatch

In the 1930s, the white matriarchs of tiny Natchez, Miss. — one of the 19th century’s wealthiest American towns thanks to the slavery-driven cotton trade — opened their stately antebellum mansions to save themselves from economic ruin.

From Los Angeles Times

But as the satirically pompous, high-strung Moira Rose, the uncomfortably broke former soap opera queen and matriarch of the hit Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” O’Hara achieved universal acclaim and endless memeability.

From Salon

Meanwhile, Aniston’s connection to the material — the veteran actress has said that she and McCurdy “had very similar moms” — was key to casting her in the matriarch role.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• matron