patriarchal
Americanadjective
-
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.
a patriarchal church in which women are not allowed to hold leadership roles.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of patriarchal
First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin patriarchālis, equivalent to patriarch(a) patriarch ( def. ) + Latin -ālis -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
A patriarchal system is one run by men. Traditionally, most societies have been patriarchal, but it's now considered sexist and unfair. The patriarchal way used to be pretty much the only way: countries and societies were run by men. The U.S. was very patriarchal, especially when women couldn't even vote. Over time, these things change, though probably not fast enough. These days, calling a country or business patriarchal is usually an insult — it implies that women aren't being treated equally.
Vocabulary lists containing patriarchal
Father's Day Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Roman Republic, Lessons 3–4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Therefore – and this will either save you the trouble of enduring all eight episodes or spoil them – Pamela Voorhees is revealed to be a victim of a patriarchal industrial plot.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
As Mihai, Stan puts across a low-simmering rage at being put in the position of defending himself at all, while grappling with how to maintain what he sees as his natural role of patriarchal control.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Miller-Moreno saga is a textbook example of how this promise of patriarchal protection is a myth.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Katebe argued that patriarchal tendencies in political parties have impacted women's participation.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
Next to the house there was a patriarchal elm tree, against the trunk of which Finny leaned and shouted at me as I ran a large circle around him.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
