patriarchy

[ pey-tree-ahr-kee ]
See synonyms for patriarchy on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural pa·tri·arch·ies.
  1. a form of social organization in which the father is the supreme authority in the family, clan, or tribe and descent is reckoned in the male line, with the children belonging to the father's clan or tribe.

  2. a society, community, or country based on this social organization.

  1. a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women: The corporate glass ceiling is one consequence of patriarchy in education and business.

  2. Often the Patriarchy . the men in power in a society: The Patriarchy is vested in maintenance of the status quo.

Origin of patriarchy

1
First recorded in 1555–65; ultimately from Greek patriarchía, derivation of patriárchēs and -ía noun suffix; see origin at patriarch, -y3

Other words from patriarchy

  • an·ti·pa·tri·ar·chy, noun, plural an·ti·pa·tri·ar·chies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for patriarchy

patriarchy

/ (ˈpeɪtrɪˌɑːkɪ) /


nounplural -chies
  1. a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and descent, kinship, and title are traced through the male line

  2. any society governed by such a system

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for patriarchy

patriarchy

[ (pay-tree-ahr-kee) ]


A family or society in which authority is vested in males, through whom descent and inheritance are traced. (See also matriarchy and primogeniture.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.