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

The usual modern spin on any movie that’s about woman and desire is rah, rah, feminism, burn the patriarchy down. —Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Donald Trump’s voters were motivated by white grievance, except for the people of color who were motivated by economic anxiety; ultimately, the main issue was the patriarchy, exacerbated by misinformation on long-form podcasts, although of course Harris should have gone on Rogan. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024

On Potomac specifically, all the women are trapped by the triad of patriarchy, respectability, and desirability. —Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

And though medicine was primitive by our standards, patriarchy still would have shaped who received it and who did not. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 10 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