matriarch
noun
ma·tri·arch
ˈmā-trē-ˌärk 
: a woman who rules or dominates a family, group, or state
specifically
: a mother who is head and ruler of her family and descendants
Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.
Did you know?
A matriarchy is a social unit governed by a woman or group of women. It isn't certain that a true matriarchal society has ever existed, so matriarchy is usually treated as an imaginative concept. But there are societies in which relatedness through women rather than men is stressed, and elements of matriarchy may be stronger in certain societies than they are in most of the Western world. And most of us can point to families in which a woman has become the dominant figure, or grande dame, or matriarch.
Examples of matriarch in a Sentence
Our grandmother was the family's matriarch.
The tribe's matriarch ruled for 20 years before her death.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown remembered that Sarah Parsley, the octogenarian matriarch of the family, greeted partygoers from a wheelchair, assisted by a Black nurse.
—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 July 2026
After high school, the Kelce matriarch became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
The protest’s matriarch Unlike most of Albania’s protests in over three decades of democracy, the young people on the streets this time are joined by an increasing number of retirees.
—
Zana Cimili,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The matriarchs who fed the team.
—
Ricardo Adé,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
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Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 July 2026
After high school, the Kelce matriarch became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
The protest’s matriarch Unlike most of Albania’s protests in over three decades of democracy, the young people on the streets this time are joined by an increasing number of retirees.
—
Zana Cimili,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The matriarchs who fed the team.
—
Ricardo Adé,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Cite this Entry
“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
matriarch
noun
ma·tri·arch
ˈmā-trē-ˌärk
: a woman who rules a family, group, or state
especially
: a mother who is head of her family and descendants
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