as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority
the matron firmly ordered the rowdy little boys back to their seats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matron
Everyone's favorite gossip, Adjoa Andoh will return as Lady Danbury, the town's societal matron and unofficial matchmaker.
—
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The style, penned by legendary jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger in the 1960s, has grown from a society matron’s must-have to an intelligent gentleman’s accessory.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
Her version of the middle-aged matron was a gentle innocent who faced the world with an unself-conscious enthusiasm.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Madam Poppy Pomfrey played a vital role in the lives of Hogwarts students as a matron, who nursed the sick and injured.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matron
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The style, penned by legendary jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger in the 1960s, has grown from a society matron’s must-have to an intelligent gentleman’s accessory.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
Her version of the middle-aged matron was a gentle innocent who faced the world with an unself-conscious enthusiasm.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Madam Poppy Pomfrey played a vital role in the lives of Hogwarts students as a matron, who nursed the sick and injured.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for matron
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matron
dowager
Noun
-
The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
-
The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Matron.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matron. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
