as in grandfather
a man who is the head of a family
Investors worried that the aging patriarch was soon to be replaced atop the family business by his less reliable oldest son.
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Recent Examples of patriarch
Comments Yellowstone's final season has been unfolding in two disparate timelines: Before John's death and after the Dutton patriarch's tragic demise.
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Matt Cabral, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2024
When John is found dead, Beth speculates that Jamie may have killed the family patriarch.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
The Franks’ hiding spot was discovered in 1944, and the patriarch was ultimately the only family member to survive the Holocaust.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024
Charles Schusterman, the family patriarch, died in 2000, which left his wife, Lynn, and daughter Stacy in charge of the family’s oil business and foundation.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patriarch 
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2024
When John is found dead, Beth speculates that Jamie may have killed the family patriarch.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
The Franks’ hiding spot was discovered in 1944, and the patriarch was ultimately the only family member to survive the Holocaust.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024
Charles Schusterman, the family patriarch, died in 2000, which left his wife, Lynn, and daughter Stacy in charge of the family’s oil business and foundation.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
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His grandfather Campbell Forsyth made four appearances in goal for Scotland in 1964 and his father Stuart Burgess, also a defender, had a distinguished career in the Scottish leagues.Asif Burhan, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Salvador-Velazquez's mom and brother joined her maternal grandfather, who as a Mexican enjoyed authorized residency in the U.S. after working as a laborer for the federal Bracero Program.Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There were around 450 Chelsea fans at the game, nine of whom were from the Saffron Blues, including my dad Arthur, godfather Andrew and his son Oliver.Lucy Oliva, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
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The crime, again, is that Harrison shot his dad in the heart, a mortal blow that, at the time, neither one of them did anything to alleviate.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Vasquez grew up in the Philippines and credits his father for instilling in him a love of singing.Daniela Avila, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
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Now, Tyson's son Amir has spoken out about the fight being fixed, along with offering a huge update on whether his father will fight again.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There’s also a concern about acting as if your son were a source of shame, a secret to be hidden from the paterfamilias.Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2022
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In a sense this is a classic family drama: the struggle over the paterfamilias’s legacy, complete with allegations of late-in-life changes to the will.Benjamin Soskis, Town & Country, 27 Oct. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near patriarch
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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