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

These series function, then, as a subtle yet potent, possibly unintentional form of propaganda, whose function is to convince viewers of all kinds that our current form of patriarchy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. —Judy Berman, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025

But the oppressions of patriarchy are not confined to one nation or time period, and Ghenim convincingly portrays its harms to all members of society, across generation, social status and even gender. —May-Lee Chai, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025

Sacred Fig is an absorbing examination of the status of women in the Middle East and a reminder that your father is a member of the very patriarchy that’s suppressing your freedoms. —Scott Phillips, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

So even though the film is so dense, [about] misogyny, patriarchy, caste-ism, that’s more a tapestry of society. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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