matriarch
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
matriarch
- /ˈmeɪtɹɪˌɑːk/ UK
- /ˈmeɪtɹiɑɹk/ US
Where it comes from
Of Latin origin, via or reinforced by Old French matriarche, from Latin māter (“mother”) + -archa, -arches, from Ancient Greek -άρχης (-árkhēs), from ἀρχός (arkhós, “chief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin, rule, command”). By surface analysis, matri- + -arch.
noun matriarchs
- A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group. This female hyena also gets erections and is larger, more aggressive than the male hyenas and lives in matrilineal clans of up to 80 individuals governed by an alpha female matriarch.
- The dominant female in a family group of elephants.
- A strong and domineering older woman; a battle axe. A typical Lancashire matriarch ushers the reassured townsfolk off the premises, confident that her money is safe: 'You don't deserve any business doubting t' Co-op. It's sound enough, and them that doubt it ought to be ashamed of themselves.'
- A female founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.
Similar: materfamilias · Opposite: highfather, paterfamilias, patriarch
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: materfamilias · Opposite: highfather, paterfamilias, patriarch
Translations
Every language
noun a female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group
| Español | matriarca |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 女家長 onna kachō |
| 中文 | 女家長 /女家长 nǚjiāzhǎng |
| हिन्दी | कुलमाता kulmātā |
| Português | matriarca |
| Français | matriarche |
| Deutsch | Matriarchin |
| Italiano | matriarca |
| Română | matriarhă |
| Русский | родонача́льница rodonačálʹnica, матриа́рх matriárx |
Talk about this word "matriarch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/matriarch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. matriarch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/matriarch "matriarch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/matriarch.Cite this
@misc{matriarch_2026,
title = {matriarch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/matriarch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
