patriarchy

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US/ˈpejtɹiɑɹki/UK/ˈpeɪ̯tɹɪɑːkɪ/UK/ˈpætɹɪɑːkɪ/British, Southern, Standard/ˈpɛjtɹɪjɑːkɪj/

noun

A social system in which the father is head of the household, having authority over women and children, and in which lineage is traced through the male line.

Similar
patriarchate
OriginLatin patriarchia ← Medieval Greek πατριαρχία ← Koine Greek πατριάρχης →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounpatriarchy (countable and uncountable, plural patriarchies)

plural patriarchies

  1. countableuncountableanthropologyA social system in which the father is head of the household, having authority over women and children, and in which lineage is traced through the male line.
  2. countableuncountableA power structure in which men are dominant.

    England is under the rule of a patriarchy.

    1929, Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
  3. countableuncountableChristianityThe office of a patriarch; a patriarchate.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna form of social organization in which a male is the family head and title is traced through the male line

Similar
patriarchate
Broader
social organizationsocial organisationsocial structure
Also see
patriarchatepatriarchism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Koine Greekπατριάρχης“patriarch”
  2. Medieval Greekπατριαρχία
  3. Latinpatriarchia
  4. Englishpatriarchy

From Latin patriarchia, from Medieval Greek πατριαρχία (patriarkhía), from Koine Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “patriarch”), from πατρία (patría) and ἄρχω (árkhō). By surface analysis, patri- + -archy.

More words from Latin, Medieval Greek, Koine Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic نِظَام أَبَوِيّ, نِظَام أَبَوِيّ
  • نِظَام أَبَوِيّ (niẓām ʔabawiyy)social system
  • نِظَام أَبَوِيّ (niẓām ʔabawiyy)power structure
Bengali পিতৃতন্ত্র, পিতৃতন্ত্র
  • পিতৃতন্ত্র (pitritontro)social system
  • পিতৃতন্ত্র (pitritontro)power structure
  • পিতৃতন্ত্র (pitritontro)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Catalan patriarcat, patriarcat
  • patriarcatsocial system
  • patriarcatpower structure
  • patriarcatdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Chinese Mandarin 父權制 /父权制, 父權 /父权
  • 父權制 /父权制 (fùquánzhì)social system
  • 父權 /父权 (fùquán)social system
Czech patriarchát
  • patriarchátsocial system
Esperanto patriarĥeco, patriarkeco
  • patriarĥecosocial system
  • patriarkecosocial system
  • patriarĥecopower structure
  • patriarkecopower structure
  • patriarĥecodominance of men in social or cultural systems
  • patriarkecodominance of men in social or cultural systems
Finnish patriarkia, patriarkia
  • patriarkiasocial system
  • patriarkiapower structure
  • patriarkiadominance of men in social or cultural systems
  • miesvaltadominance of men in social or cultural systems
  • miesvaltaisuusdominance of men in social or cultural systems
French patriarcat
  • patriarcatsocial system
German Patriarchat
  • Patriarchatsocial system
Hindi पितृसत्ता, पितृसत्ता
  • पितृसत्ता (pitŕsattā)social system
  • पितृसत्ता (pitŕsattā)power structure
  • पितृसत्ता (pitŕsattā)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Hungarian patriarchizmus, patriarchizmus
  • patriarchizmussocial system
  • patriarchizmuspower structure
  • patriarchátuspower structure
  • patriarchizmusdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Italian patriarcato, patriarcato
  • patriarcatosocial system
  • patriarcatodominance of men in social or cultural systems
Japanese 家父長制, 父権制
  • 家父長制 (kafuchōsei)social system
  • 父権制 (fukensei)social system
  • 父権 (fuken)social system
Korean 부권제, 부권
  • 부권제 (bugwonje)social system
  • 부권 (bugwon)social system
  • 가부장제 (gabujangje)social system
Polish patriarchat, patriarchat
  • patriarchatsocial system
  • patriarchatpower structure
  • patriarchatdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Portuguese patriarcado, patriarquia
  • patriarcadosocial system
  • patriarquiasocial system
  • patriarcadopower structure
  • patriarcadodominance of men in social or cultural systems
Romanian patriarhat, patriarhat
  • patriarhatsocial system
  • patriarhatpower structure
  • patriarhatdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Russian патриарха́т, патриарха́т
  • патриарха́т (patriarxát)social system
  • патриарха́т (patriarxát)power structure
  • патриарха́т (patriarxát)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Spanish patriarcado, patriarcado
  • patriarcadosocial system
  • patriarcadopower structure
  • patriarcadodominance of men in social or cultural systems
Swedish patriarki, patriarkat
  • patriarkisocial system
  • patriarkatsocial system
  • patriarkipower structure
  • patriarkatpower structure
  • patriarkidominance of men in social or cultural systems
  • patriarkatdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Tamil ஆணாதிக்கம், ஆணாதிக்கம்
  • ஆணாதிக்கம் (āṇātikkam)social system
  • ஆணாதிக்கம் (āṇātikkam)power structure
  • ஆணாதிக்கம் (āṇātikkam)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Thai ปิตาธิปไตย, ปิตาธิปไตย
  • ปิตาธิปไตย (bpì-dtaa-tí-bpà-dtai)social system
  • ปิตาธิปไตย (bpì-dtaa-tí-bpà-dtai)power structure
  • ปิตาธิปไตย (bpì-dtaa-tí-bpà-dtai)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Turkish ataerkil, ataerkillik
  • ataerkilsocial system
  • ataerkillikpower structure
  • ataerkillikdominance of men in social or cultural systems
Urdu پِدَر شاہی, پِدَر سالاری
  • پِدَر شاہی (pidar śāhī)social system
  • پِدَر سالاری (pidar sālārī)social system
  • پِدَر شاہی (pidar śāhī)power structure
  • پِدَر سالاری (pidar sālārī)power structure
  • پِدَر شاہی (pidar śāhī)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
  • پِدَر سالاری (pidar sālārī)dominance of men in social or cultural systems
Cite this entry
APA

patriarchy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchy

MLA

“patriarchy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “patriarchy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patriarchy.

Source: patriarchy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.