patriarchal
[ pey-tree-ahr-kuh l ]
/ ˌpeɪ triˈɑr kəl /
adjective
of or relating to a patriarch, the male head of a family, tribe, community, church, order, etc.: my father's conservative, patriarchal ways.
characteristic of an entity, family, church, etc., controlled by men: the highly patriarchal Mormon church.
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RELATED WORDS
fatherly, maternal, paternal, stately, grand, esteemed, revered, affectionate, benevolent, benign, comforting, devoted, fond, forbearing, gentle, indulgent, kind, loving, motherly, protective
Nearby words
- patri,
- patri-,
- patria potestas,
- patrial,
- patriarch,
- patriarchal cross,
- patriarchalism,
- patriarchate,
- patriarchs,
- patriarchy
Sometimes pa·tri·ar·chic, pa·tri·ar·chi·cal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for patriarchal
patriarchal
mid-15c., "pertaining to a (Church) patriarch," from patriarch + -al, or else from Late Latin patriarchalis, from patriarcha.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper