patriarchy
noun
pa·tri·ar·chy
ˈpā-trē-ˌär-kē 
plural patriarchies
1
: social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line
broadly
: control by men of a disproportionately large share of power
2
: a society or institution organized according to the principles or practices of patriarchy
For 20 years the country was ruled as a patriarchy.
Examples of patriarchy in a Sentence
For 20 years, the country was ruled as a patriarchy.
a region in which patriarchy is practiced
Recent Examples on the Web
Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst.
—
Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Government is the problem, not the White male patriarchy.
—FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Then again, patriarchy, however hidden, seems to still rule the day in other places too, even in more progressive corners of the world where women often pay a price or are asked to apologize for male wrongdoings.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 May 2026
But Harris believes the end result is an ambitious attempt to thumb its nose at the patriarchy while allowing a story that addresses abuse, violence, and trauma to also be an incredibly fun time.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patriarchy
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Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Government is the problem, not the White male patriarchy.
—FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Then again, patriarchy, however hidden, seems to still rule the day in other places too, even in more progressive corners of the world where women often pay a price or are asked to apologize for male wrongdoings.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 May 2026
But Harris believes the end result is an ambitious attempt to thumb its nose at the patriarchy while allowing a story that addresses abuse, violence, and trauma to also be an incredibly fun time.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for patriarchy
Cite this Entry
“Patriarchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarchy. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patriarchy
noun
pa·tri·ar·chy
ˈpā-trē-ˌär-kē
plural patriarchies
1
: social organization in which the father is head of the family and ancestry and inheritance are traced in the male line
2
: a society organized according to the principles of patriarchy
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