Skip to main content

patriarchthe male head of a family or tribe; a man who is regarded as the founder or father of a family, business, or organization

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: the male head of a family or tribe; a man who is regarded as the founder or father of a family, business, or organization

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpeɪtriɑːrk/

Example Sentences

  • The tech company's patriarch refused to retire, claiming his smartphone was still a rotary phone.
  • As the family patriarch, he had the final say in choosing the restaurant for dinner.
  • The patriarch of the dynasty passed down his business empire to his eldest son.

patriarch

NOUN

[/ˈpeɪtriɑːrk/]

the male head of a family or tribe; a man who is regarded as the founder or father of a family, business, or organization

The old patriarch sits at the head of the table, blessing three generations at dinner.
💡 Concept

The old patriarch sits at the head of the table, blessing three generations at dinner.

The patriarch's research crowns him as family monarch.
🎵 Rhyme

The patriarch's research crowns him as family monarch.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈpeɪtriɑːrk/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈpeɪtriɑːk/

🌳Etymology

Rootpatri
Suffix-arch

Origin

From Latin patriarcha, derived from Greek patriarkhes, combining patria (fatherland, family) and arkhes (ruler, leader). The term was used in early Christian contexts to describe senior bishops and religious leaders.

Breakdown

patri- (father, from Latin pater) + -arch (ruler, from Greek arkhes) = patriarch

🎵Rhyme

monarcholigarchresearch
monarch
oligarch
research

🔗Collocations

family patriarch
founding patriarch
elderly patriarch
respected patriarch
tribal patriarch
biblical patriarch

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

The tech company's patriarch refused to retire, claiming his smartphone was still a rotary phone.

As the family patriarch, he had the final say in choosing the restaurant for dinner.

The patriarch of the dynasty passed down his business empire to his eldest son.

😄 Fun example

Every holiday gathering revolved around pleasing the family patriarch and his legendary appetite.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

elderheadleaderfounderchief

Antonyms

matriarchsubordinatefollower

Related

dynastylineageancestryhierarchyauthority

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.