patrilocal

American

[pa-truh-loh-kuhl, pay-] / ˌpæ trəˈloʊ kəl, ˌpeɪ- /

adjective

Anthropology.

virilocal.

patrilocal British

/ ˌpætrɪˈləʊkəl /

adjective

having or relating to a marriage pattern in which the couple lives with the husband's family

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of patrilocal

First recorded in 1905–10; patri- + local

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.

See Examples For:

patrilocal

In other words, El Sidrón is compatible with a patrilocal system.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

The majority of societies today are patrilocal, meaning women move to their husband's communities.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025

But the DNA shows their patrilocal traditions persisted.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 24, 2024

They have also grown in prominence at Korean studies conferences—long the preserve of scholarly experts in topics like Korean Buddhism and ancient patrilocal rites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2015

In such a case the marriage is called matrilocal; otherwise it is patrilocal.

From Anthropology by R. R. (Robert Ranulph) Marett

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023