matriarchy
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matriarchy
- /ˈmeɪ.tɹiˌɑː.ki/ UK
- /ˈmeɪ.tɹiˌɑɹ.ki/ US
Where it comes from
Coined after patriarchy, from Latin māter (“mother”) and Ancient Greek ἄρχω (árkhō, “to rule”). By surface analysis, matri- + -archy.
noun matriarchies
- A social system in which the mother is head of household, having authority over men and children, and lineage is traced through the female line. The difficulty is that when a man thinks of matriarchy, he thinks of a patriarchy with women in the place of men; he does not stop to consider that matriarchy may be a complete mirror-image. Where patriarchy establishes law, matriarchy establishes custom; where patriarchy establishes military power,
- A system of government by women (particularly as a kind of polity).
- The dominance of women in social or cultural systems.
Similar: matriarchate, gynarchy, gynecocracy · Opposite: patriarchy
Thesaurus
noun
Similar: matriarchate, gynarchy, gynecocracy · Opposite: patriarchy
Translations
Every language
noun social system
| Español | matriarcado |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 모권제 mogwonje, 모권 mogwon |
| 日本語 | 家母長制 kabochōsei, 母権制 bokensei, 母権 boken |
| 中文 | 母權制 /母权制 mǔquánzhì, 母權 /母权 mǔquán |
| हिन्दी | मातृसत्ता mātŕsattā |
| Português | matriarcado |
| Français | matriarcat |
| Deutsch | Matriarchat |
| Italiano | matriarcato |
| Ελληνικά | μητριαρχία mitriarchía |
| Română | matriarhat |
| Русский | матриарха́т matriarxát |
| العربية | الأمومية al-umumiyya |
noun system of government
| Español | matriarcado |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | मातृसत्ता mātŕsattā |
| Português | matriarcado |
| Ελληνικά | μητριαρχία mitriarchía |
| Română | matriarhat |
| Русский | матриарха́т matriarxát |
Talk about this word "matriarchy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/matriarchy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. matriarchy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/matriarchy "matriarchy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/matriarchy.Cite this
@misc{matriarchy_2026,
title = {matriarchy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/matriarchy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
