patrilineal

American  

[pa-truh-lin-ee-uhl, pey-] / ˌpæ trəˈlɪn i əl, ˌpeɪ- /

adjective

1. inheriting or determining descent through the male line.

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patrilineal British  

/ ˌpætrɪˈlɪnɪəl /

adjective

1. tracing descent, kinship, or title through the male line

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patrilineal Cultural  

1. Tracing kinship and descent through the male line. (Compare matrilineal.)

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Other Word Forms

• patrilineally adverb

Etymology

Origin of patrilineal

First recorded in 1900–05; patri- + lineal

Compare meaning

How does patrilineal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• matrilineal vs. patrilineal

Example Sentences

This conclusion was reached after analysing twenty years of anthropological field data -- from contemporary non-warlike patrilineal groups, particularly from the scientists' own fieldwork carried out in Asia -- and modelling various socio-demographic scenarios.

From Science Daily

This allowed the reconstruction of several extensive pedigrees, revealing that the communities practised a strict patrilineal system of descent.

From Science Daily

Yet, such techniques can be shallow and are often patrilineal, meaning that the women of the past are more prone to be forgotten than their partners.

From BBC

Ryu, the former North Korean diplomat, said a female heir is “unimaginable” for the Kim dynasty because it would deviate from the patrilineal succession of three generations.

From Washington Post

Alice Evans, a researcher at King’s College London who studies women’s economic and social progress, said women’s rights were caught in a “patrilineal trap.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• benevolent