patriarch
noun
pa·tri·arch
ˈpā-trē-ˌärk 
1
a
: one of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
Abraham was a patriarch of the Israelites.
b
: a man who is father or founder
The newspaper patriarch celebrated his 90th birthday.
c(1)
: the oldest member or representative of a group
the cypress … is the patriarch of native trees, going back to the time of the dinosaur—
Amer. Guide Series: Texas
Amer. Guide Series: Texas
(2)
: a venerable old man
a whiskered patriarch, spry for his age—Frank Sullivan
Frank Sullivan
d
: a man who is head of a patriarchy
2
a
: any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern Orthodox sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops
b
: the head of any of various Eastern churches
c
: a Roman Catholic bishop next in rank to the pope with purely titular or with metropolitan (see metropolitan entry 2 sense 1) jurisdiction
3
: a Mormon of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction
Examples of patriarch in a Sentence
Our grandfather was the family's patriarch.
The tribe's patriarch ruled for 20 years before his death.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ensemble centers around the Fisher family (Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Lauren Ambrose, and Frances Conroy) who run a funeral home in Los Angeles after the sudden loss of their patriarch, exploring death as a constant companion both literally and figuratively.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024
Timothy Spall, who plays Edith’s father, Edward, is the very picture of a Puritanical patriarch.
—Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
When the aging patriarch of one of the world’s largest media conglomerates considers retirement, his family members position themselves for a takeover.
—Tim Chan, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
State prosecutors accused him of murdering them to gain pity and to distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation in South Carolina's Lowcountry, where three generations of family patriarchs had wielded power as the top prosecutors for decades.
—Juliette Arcodia, NBC News, 1 Apr. 2024
In May, 1948, Ibrahim, the family patriarch, fled the fighting during the First Arab-Israeli War.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
Much like Chambers is indelibly linked to funk and fusion, White tends to be pigeonhole as a fusion patriarch.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The family patriarch retired in 2006, and his eldest son Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, who had been the CEO of Ayala Corp. since 1994, succeeded him as chairman.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
As his son has risen through the soccer ranks, the family patriarch has even taken on the agent role, negotiating contracts on Lionel’s behalf.
—Nasha Smith, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024
Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024
Timothy Spall, who plays Edith’s father, Edward, is the very picture of a Puritanical patriarch.
—Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
When the aging patriarch of one of the world’s largest media conglomerates considers retirement, his family members position themselves for a takeover.
—Tim Chan, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
State prosecutors accused him of murdering them to gain pity and to distract from financial crimes threatening to topple his reputation in South Carolina's Lowcountry, where three generations of family patriarchs had wielded power as the top prosecutors for decades.
—Juliette Arcodia, NBC News, 1 Apr. 2024
In May, 1948, Ibrahim, the family patriarch, fled the fighting during the First Arab-Israeli War.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
Much like Chambers is indelibly linked to funk and fusion, White tends to be pigeonhole as a fusion patriarch.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The family patriarch retired in 2006, and his eldest son Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, who had been the CEO of Ayala Corp. since 1994, succeeded him as chairman.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
As his son has risen through the soccer ranks, the family patriarch has even taken on the agent role, negotiating contracts on Lionel’s behalf.
—Nasha Smith, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patriarch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near patriarch
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarch. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patriarch
noun
pa·tri·arch
ˈpā-trē-ˌärk
1
a
: one of the Old Testament fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
b
: the father and ruler of a family or tribe
c
: an old man deserving respect
2
: any of various bishops of highest rank and dignity
patriarchal
adjective
ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl
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