patriarchal

[ pey-tree-ahr-kuh l ]

/ ˌpeɪ triˈɑr kəl /

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.

Nearby words

Sometimes pa·tri·ar·chic, pa·tri·ar·chi·cal.

pa·tri·ar·chal·ly, pa·tri·ar·chi·cal·ly, adverban·ti·pa·tri·ar·chal, adjectivean·ti·pa·tri·ar·chal·ly, adverbqua·si-pa·tri·ar·chal, adjective

un·pa·tri·ar·chal, adjectiveun·pa·tri·ar·chal·ly, adverb

And yes, that authoritarian, patriarchal guru-power structure, invariably, always leads to abuses.
Is India’s Fallen ‘God-Man’ So Different From a Megachurch Pastor?|Jay Michaelson|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a patriarchal society—our society—a naked woman is a dangerous thing.
A Respectable, Non-Exploitative Story About Kim Kardashian’s Bare-Naked, Greased-Up Ass|Amy Zimmerman|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems that, in doing away with patriarchal authority, we have also, perhaps unwittingly, killed off all the grown-ups.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Sept 8-14|John Boot|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Never mind that the patriarchal belief system woven throughout the cartoon content is itself shockingly outdated.
Juvenile Misogynist Seth MacFarlane Is Not Funny|Amy Zimmerman|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Because marriage is a patriarchal, sexist institution that should be discarded rather than reformed.
Were Christians Right About Gay Marriage All Along?|Jay Michaelson|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still the son remained as unmoving as bronze while his eyes sustained unflinchingly the wrathful gaze of a patriarchal order.
When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry|Charles Neville Buck
They have no government to make treaties; they are a patriarchal people.
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region|George Wharton James
The patriarchal ruler has given way to the conquering chief; conquest has humiliated some and exalted others.
Church and State as Seen in the Formation of Christendom|T. W. Allies
Their government is after the patriarchal order, and is purely republican in its character.
The Progress of Ethnology|John Russell Bartlett
When the patriarchal dispensation came to an end, the right of property in slaves was recognized in the decalogue.
History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia|Charles Campbell