matrilocal

American  

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

adjective

Anthropology.

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

   matrilocal customs.

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matrilocal British  

/ ˈmætrɪˌləʊkəl, ˈmeɪ-, ˌmeɪ-, ˌmætrɪləʊˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• matrilocality noun
• matrilocally adverb

Etymology

Origin of matrilocal

First recorded in 1905–10; matri- + local

Example Sentences

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

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025

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

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

Again, when the matrilocal type of marriage prevails, as likewise often when it does not, the wife and her people, rather than the father and his people, exercise supreme authority over the children.

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