matriarchy
[ mey-tree-ahr-kee ]
/ ˈmeɪ triˌɑr ki /
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noun, plural ma·tri·ar·chies.
a family, society, community, or state governed by women.
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.
Nearby words
matrass, matri-, matriarch, matriarchal, matriarchate, matriarchy, matric, matrical, matrices, matricide, matriclinous
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Examples from the Web for matriarchy
British Dictionary definitions for matriarchy
matriarchy
/ (ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑːkɪ) /
noun plural -chies
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
any society dominated by women
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for matriarchy
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for matriarchy
matriarchy
[ (may-tree-ahr-kee) ]
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.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.