patriarch
noun
pa·tri·arch
ˈpā-trē-ˌärk 
1
a
: one of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
Abraham was a patriarch of the Israelites.
b
: a man who is father or founder
The newspaper patriarch celebrated his 90th birthday.
c(1)
: the oldest member or representative of a group
The cypress … is the patriarch of native trees, going back to the time of the dinosaur.—
Amer. Guide Series: Texas
Amer. Guide Series: Texas
(2)
: a venerable old man
… a whiskered patriarch, spry for his age …—Frank Sullivan
Frank Sullivan
d
: a man who is head of a patriarchy
2
a
: any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern Orthodox sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops
b
: the head of any of various Eastern churches
c
: a Roman Catholic bishop next in rank to the pope with purely titular or with metropolitan (see metropolitan entry 2 sense 1) jurisdiction
3
: a Latter-day Saint of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction
Examples of patriarch in a Sentence
Our grandfather was the family's patriarch.
The tribe's patriarch ruled for 20 years before his death.
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Craig stars as Benoit Blanc, a Southern-drawling Hercule Poirot-style private detective who helps a wealthy family uncover the truth behind the death of their beloved patriarch (Christopher Plummer).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Romano plays the family patriarch.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
The patriarch’s rage at feeling degraded in America turns the home into a war zone.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
There were protests at the ground with ‘United Not For Sale’ banners, flashmobs at the club’s megastore and pressure applied to other businesses in which the family, then led by patriarch Malcolm Glazer, who would die in 2014, were involved.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Romano plays the family patriarch.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
The patriarch’s rage at feeling degraded in America turns the home into a war zone.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
There were protests at the ground with ‘United Not For Sale’ banners, flashmobs at the club’s megastore and pressure applied to other businesses in which the family, then led by patriarch Malcolm Glazer, who would die in 2014, were involved.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarch. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patriarch
noun
pa·tri·arch
ˈpā-trē-ˌärk
1
a
: one of the Old Testament fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
b
: the father and ruler of a family or tribe
c
: an old man deserving respect
2
: any of various bishops of highest rank and dignity
patriarchal
adjective
ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl
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