patrilineal
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of patrilineal
Compare meaning
How does patrilineal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Something patrilineal is related to your relationship with your father, or to your family's line of male descendants — for example, your father, his father, his father's father, and so on. A genetic condition that spreads in a patrilineal way might be passed from your grandfather, through your dad, and finally to you. And through history, some monarchies have been patrilineal, meaning that when a king dies, only his son can succeed him (and not his daughter). Patrilineal adds the Latin prefix patri-, or "father," to lineal, from the Late Latin linealis, "relating to a line."
Vocabulary lists containing patrilineal
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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!
pater, patr
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!
Chapters 15–16
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.
And she’s currently working on a collection of small sculptures honoring her patrilineal ties to Puebla, Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
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 • Apr. 24, 2024
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 • Mar. 27, 2023
According to Rwanda’s patrilineal customs, this made him a Hutu, but he considered himself a moderate in the ongoing power struggle between the groups.
From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2021
Living around what is now Adelaide in southern Australia were several patrilineal clans that reckoned descent from the father’s side.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions 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.
