matriarchal
adjective
ma·tri·ar·chal
ˌmā-trē-ˈär-kəl 
: of, relating to, or being a matriarch or matriarchy
a matriarchal society
Johnnie Angelia King … plays a very different matriarchal figure here, imbuing hard-working Faye with passion …—
Larry T. Collins
Larry T. CollinsAs a Filipino-American, Lirio Marcelo was steeped in a matriarchal culture where there was no shortage of female role models in corporate and government realms.—Lydia Dishman
Lydia DishmanExamples of matriarchal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This new crop of ladies needs structure, and Kenya is stepping in with full matriarchal energy, asking the questions the people (read: us) actually want answered.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Mar. 2025
In this case, though, instead of a preening Ian McShane running things, the organizations seem to be exclusively matriarchal.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Both films sharply critique the culture-specific contradictions that constitute a fragile matriarchal solidarity among women and girls in Zambia.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
Could this be a result of the matriarchal structure?
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarchal
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Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Mar. 2025
In this case, though, instead of a preening Ian McShane running things, the organizations seem to be exclusively matriarchal.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Both films sharply critique the culture-specific contradictions that constitute a fragile matriarchal solidarity among women and girls in Zambia.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
Could this be a result of the matriarchal structure?
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matriarchal
Cite this Entry
“Matriarchal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarchal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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