matrilineal
inheriting or determining descent through the female line.
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Origin of matrilineal
1- Also mat·ri·lin·e·ar [ma-truh-lin-ee-er, mey-] /ˌmæ trəˈlɪn i ər, ˌmeɪ-/ .
Other words from matrilineal
- mat·ri·lin·e·al·ly, mat·ri·lin·e·ar·ly, adverb
- Compare patrilineal.
Words Nearby matrilineal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use matrilineal in a sentence
Out in the deep ocean, sperm whales live in extremely social matrilineal family units that mingle in groups within a given clan, which are distinguished by particular dialects and behaviors.
Sperm whales have a surprisingly deep—and useful—culture | Ellie Shechet | March 19, 2021 | Popular-ScienceBy strict Jewish law, which follows a matrilineal line, Giffords is not a Jew.
At the present day the kinship may be matrilineal or patrilineal without affecting their right.
Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia | Northcote W. ThomasThe area covered by the dichotomous organisations is divided almost equally between matrilineal and patrilineal tribes.
Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia | Northcote W. ThomasThe arrangement suggests that matrilineal descent prevails, but there is probably some error.
Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia | Northcote W. Thomas
We also know approximately the limits of the matrilineal and patrilineal systems.
Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia | Northcote W. ThomasThe clan, it is true, whether matrilineal or patrilineal, tends at the totemic level of society to eclipse the family.
Anthropology | Robert Marett
British Dictionary definitions for matrilineal
/ (ˌmætrɪˈlɪnɪəl, ˌmeɪ-) /
relating to descent or kinship through the female line
Derived forms of matrilineal
- matrilineally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for matrilineal
[ (mat-ruh-lin-ee-uhl) ]
Tracing kinship and descent through the female line. (Compare 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.
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