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matrilocal

American

[ma-truh-loh-kuhl, mey-] / ˌmæ trəˈloʊ kəl, ˌmeɪ- /

adjective

Anthropology.

of or relating to residence with the wife's family or tribe; uxorilocal.

matrilocal customs.

matrilocal British

/ ˈmætrɪˌləʊkəl, ˈmeɪ-, ˌmeɪ-, ˌmætrɪləʊˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

denoting, having, or relating to a marriage pattern in which the couple live with the wife's family

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of matrilocal

First recorded in 1905–10; matri- + local

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.

But some matrilocal communities exist today or in the recent past, including the Akans in Ghana, West Africa and Cherokee in North America.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025

The scientists say that Iron Age Britain may have been matrilocal because men were frequently away fighting.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025

For example, Korea had been relatively matrilocal, with the husband joining the wife’s family after marriage.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The society has been and remains matriarchal and matrilocal, with husbands moving in with their wives’ families.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 29, 2023

In such a case the marriage is called matrilocal; otherwise it is patrilocal.

From Anthropology by Marett, R. R. (Robert Ranulph)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023