matriarchy
UK /ˈmeɪ.tɹiˌɑː.ki/ · US /ˈmeɪ.tɹiˌɑɹ.ki/ noun
Forms matriarchies
- noun A social system in which the mother is head of household, having authority over men and children, and lineage is traced through the female line.
- noun A system of government by women (particularly as a kind of polity).
- noun The dominance of women in social or cultural systems.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Coined after patriarchy, from Latin māter (“mother”) and Ancient Greek ἄρχω (árkhō, “to rule”). By surface analysis, matri- + -archy.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “matriarchy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details