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

Noun Inflected Forms

• 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

See Examples For:

matriarchy matriarchies

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

Life in the Barbie matriarchy wasn't entirely equal, but it lacked Ken's enthusiasm yen for subjugation . . . and horses.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2023

The matriarchy revealed itself only at times of stress.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

At the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, Bassett nabbed the win for her outstanding narration in "Queens," a docuseries from National Geographic about matriarchies in the wild.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2024

In an effort to break down the elaborate hierarchies of Coast Salish matriarchies, Christian missionaries forced higher status women to give up sources of traditional prestige, including woolly dogs.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 13, 2023

Among the discoveries: Yellowstone wolf researchers believe wolf packs, previously thought to be overseen by an alpha male, are actually matriarchies.

From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2020

Speaking extemporaneously to one of the world's few remaining matriarchies,* he said that Mexico's women were coming into their own.

From Time Magazine Archive