matriarchy
matriarchy Lexical Profile
matriarchy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A system of society or government in which the mother or oldest female is head of the family and descent and relationship are reckoned through the female line; government or rule by a woman or women.
"Anthropologists studied how property and leadership roles were passed down through mothers in the traditional matriarchy."
A family, group, community, or state governed by a matriarch or women, including certain animal social groups led by a dominant female.
"Elephant herds operate as a closely bonded matriarchy led by the oldest and most experienced female."
Word Nuance & Usage
In anthropology, 'matriarchy' (rule or governance by women) is distinguished from 'matrilineality' (tracing kinship and inheritance through the maternal line), as a matrilineal society is not necessarily governed by women.
• Rhymes for matriarchy
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-19th century on the model of 'patriarchy', combining the Latin stem 'matr-' (from 'mater', meaning 'mother') with the Greek suffix '-arkhia' ('rule', from 'arkhein', meaning 'to rule').