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
But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Bello) and son Cane (Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.
—
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
However, their business begins to crumble when patriarch, Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany of Mindhunter and The Iron Claw) is forced to recover from two heart attacks.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
The Conners’ lives managed to move forward with surprising twists and turns, like patriarch Dan eventually dating and marrying musician/bartender Louise (Katey Sagal) during Season 4.
—Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
However, their business begins to crumble when patriarch, Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany of Mindhunter and The Iron Claw) is forced to recover from two heart attacks.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
The Conners’ lives managed to move forward with surprising twists and turns, like patriarch Dan eventually dating and marrying musician/bartender Louise (Katey Sagal) during Season 4.
—Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
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Given his grandfather’s negative views on homosexuality, Min has not yet discussed being gay with his grandmother.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Her family is from the Bahamas, and Bowe's 92-year-old grandfather traveled to Texas to watch her launch to space.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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My dad revered Mary of Egypt, who was also known as the Harlot of the Desert, and was largely forgotten in the West.—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
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In September 2017, Sierra decided to live with her dad full-time.—
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It is understood that father and son didn’t meet before Charles and Camilla headed to Italy.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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In 1913, his father acquired the famed Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet, marking the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the historic Parisian Maison, Christie’s said.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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