matronly

adjective

ma·tron·ly ˈmā-trən-lē

Synonyms of matronly

: having the character of or suitable to a matron

Examples of matronly in a Sentence

She feared she was becoming a matronly old woman. She wore a matronly blue dress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Pinkham’s matronly smile, printed on labels and advertisements, became as well known as Mona Lisa’s. — Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2025 Every few days, a matronly Spanish woman appeared at the fountain to give me a plastic bag with bananas and bread, and sometimes little packets of butter and jam. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 After years of matronly tankinis, there are now some great plus-size swim pieces available on the market, including this scarlet snake-print one-piece from Nomads Swimwear. — Sarah Chiwaya, Refinery29, 6 Apr. 2025 Mary’s childhood has all of the workhouse tragedy of a Dickens novel, plus insufficient scenes of Susan Lynch as a stern, matronly figure from her youth. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for matronly

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of matronly was in 1630

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Matronly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matronly. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

matronly

adjective

ma·tron·ly ˈmā-trən-lē

: of, resembling, or suitable for a matron

matronly

adjective

Examples of matronly in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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