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

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

Levy: I knew that the matriarch of this family was so important to the legitimacy of this.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The matriarch of the Mitford clan has been overshadowed by the glamorous daughters who caused her no small amount of grief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Part of that idiom is the boisterous humour that the Punjab region is known for, portrayed in part through Sajawal's mother, the imposing matriarch Sohni Ammi.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

Dona Zaida, once a formidable matriarch who ruled her eight sons by a resolute jealousy, spent long afternoons watching novelas on television and perfuming her thickening wrists.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• matron