matriarchy

American  

[mey-tree-ahr-kee] / ˈmeɪ triˌɑr ki /

noun

matriarchies plural

1. a family, society, community, or state governed by women.

2. a form of social organization in which the mother is head of the family, and in which descent is reckoned in the female line, the children belonging to the mother's clan; matriarchal system.

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matriarchy British  

/ ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑːkɪ /

noun

1. a form of social organization in which a female is head of the family or society, and descent and kinship are traced through the female line

2. any society dominated by women

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matriarchy Cultural  

1. A family or society in which authority is held by females, through whom descent and inheritance are traced. More generally, a matriarchy is a society dominated by women. (See also matrilineal, patriarchy, and patrilineal.)

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• matriarchies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of matriarchy

First recorded in 1880–85; matri- + -archy

Explanation

If you ever heard "Just wait until your mother gets home!" when you did something wrong as a child, you may have grown up in a matriarchy. In a matriarchy, women call the shots. The word matriarchy, pronounced "MAY-tree-ar-kee," derives from the Latin word mater, meaning “mother,” and archein, or "to rule." A matriarchy is a social system is which women have more power in the community than men. Matriarchy can also be used more broadly to describe a family that is ruled by a powerful woman. The opposite of matriarchy is patriarchy, a system in which men are the ones holding the power.

Example Sentences

It’s the womb as universe, matriarchy in excelsis.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

They thought the women’s rich adornments suggested a matriarchy, where powerful women were buried and their sons or grandsons added to their tombs later.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 4, 2023

The whole idea that the opposite of patriarchy is matriarchy is just another side of a domination coin.

From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023

"Barbie's" matriarchy is imperfect, but that is the point: it is capable of evolution, and the movie follows not just Barbie's journey, but the journey of Barbieland as it adapts to new challenges.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2023

The matriarchy revealed itself only at times of stress.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer