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patriarchy
[ pey-tree-ahr-kee ]
/ ˈpeɪ triˌɑr ki /
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noun, plural pa·tri·arch·ies.
a form of social organization in which the father is the supreme authority in the family, clan, or tribe and descent is reckoned in the male line, with the children belonging to the father's clan or tribe.
a society, community, or country based on this social organization.
a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women: The corporate glass ceiling is one consequence of patriarchy in education and business.
Often the Patriarchy . the men in power in a society: The Patriarchy is vested in maintenance of the status quo.
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Origin of patriarchy
OTHER WORDS FROM patriarchy
an·ti·pa·tri·ar·chy, noun, plural an·ti·pa·tri·ar·chies.Words nearby patriarchy
patriarchal, patriarchal cross, patriarchalism, patriarchate, patriarchs, patriarchy, patriate, Patricia, patrician, patriciate, patricide
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use patriarchy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for patriarchy
patriarchy
/ (ˈpeɪtrɪˌɑːkɪ) /
noun plural -chies
a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and descent, kinship, and title are traced through the male line
any society governed by such a system
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
Cultural definitions for patriarchy
patriarchy
[ (pay-tree-ahr-kee) ]
A family or society in which authority is vested in males, through whom descent and inheritance are traced. (See also matriarchy and primogeniture.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.