matriarchal
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a matriarch, the female head of a family, tribe, community, etc..
her matriarchal qualities of love and compassion.
-
characteristic of an entity, family, etc., controlled by women.
matriarchal cultures in India.
Etymology
Origin of matriarchal
First recorded in 1840–45; matriarch ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
You can describe your family as matriarchal if it is full of strong women, headed by your feisty grandmother. A group or society is matriarchal when it is run by women. Anthropologists use the adjective matriarchal to talk about societies that are headed by females. The word comes from the Greek matēr, "mother," and archein, "to rule." The term matriarchal arose as a balance to the traditional patriarchal, male-ruled, concept of society, although feminists and anthropologists often use it to describe societies in which women have equal rights, as well as families or tribes headed by mothers or grandmothers.
Vocabulary lists containing matriarchal
History of India - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
History of India - Middle School and High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Chapters 7–9
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hainu, a vestige of the Japanese colonial era, shares some similarities with the centuries-old matriarchal tradition of haenyeo free-diving in South Korea, although Taiwan's sea women do not go underwater.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The stoicism of her Seri project is contrasted by the more lighthearted photos she took of people in Juchitán, highlighting the matriarchal culture there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Movies: Olivier’s widow could be playing grand dames on stage, but she likes the travel and money from matriarchal characters in films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
Her performance as the quick-witted matriarchal figure won her three Primetime Emmy awards, a Bafta, a Golden Globe and four Screen Actors Guild awards.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024
When after seventy-five years of celibacy the fascinations of the other sex began to tell upon him, he might at least have succumbed to a less matriarchal form of femininity.
From Ghetto Comedies by Israel Zangwill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
