Meanings
plural patriarchates
- A patriarchal system or community.
The rise of the patriarchate saw the overpowering of the female goddess by the male god. The moon-god gave place to the sun-god. The tables were turned with a vengeance. Not only was the male granted a share in the phenomenon of generation; he was given the main share.
1941, George Ryley Scott, Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of All Races from Antiquity to the Present Day, London: T. Werner Laurie, page 18 - ChristianityThe term of office of a Christian patriarch.
The patriarchate of Pope John Paul II as Patriarch of the West was more than 25 years.
- The office-space occupied by a patriarch and his staff.
The Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem is, by modern standards, a very cramped space.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna form of social organization in which a male is the family head and title is traced through the male line
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπατριάρχης“patriarch”
- Medieval Latinpatriarchatus
- Old Frenchpatriarcat
- Middle Frenchpatriarcat
- Englishpatriarchate
From Middle French patriarcat, from Old French patriarcat, from Medieval Latin patriarchatus, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “patriarch”). By surface analysis, patriarch + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, the concrete charge of it, a body of people involved with it).
More words from Middle French, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بَطْرِيَرْكِيَّة
- بَطْرِيَرْكِيَّة (baṭriyarkiyya)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
Bulgarian патриа́ршия, патриа́ршия
- патриа́ршия (patriáršija)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
- патриа́ршия (patriáršija)office space
Chinese Mandarin 宗主教區 /宗主教区
- 宗主教區 /宗主教区 (zōngzhǔjiàoqū)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
Finnish patriarkaatti, patriarkaatti
- patriarkaattiterm of office
- patriarkaattioffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
- patriarkaattioffice space
Polish patriarchat
- patriarchatoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
Romanian patriarhat, patriarhie
- patriarhatoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
- patriarhieoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
Russian патриархат, патриархия
- патриархат (patriarxat)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
- патриархия (patriarxija)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
Swedish patriarkat, patriarkat
- patriarkatterm of office
- patriarkatoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
- patriarkatoffice space
Urdu بَطرِیقی
- بَطرِیقی (batrīqī)office or ecclesial jurisdiction
Vietnamese tòa thượng phụ, toà thượng phụ
- tòa thượng phụoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
- toà thượng phụoffice or ecclesial jurisdiction
Cite this entry
patriarchate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchate
“patriarchate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchate. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “patriarchate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchate.
Source: patriarchate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.