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

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

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

The same, he said, is true of Huerta — who “remains a matriarch of our Latino community.”

From Los Angeles Times

On 24 February, when the family upped their reward for the matriarch's return, the TV host said that they "also know that she may be lost, she may already be gone".

From BBC

Related Words

• matron