Patriarchal Meaning
/ˌpeɪtɹiˈɑɹkl̩/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjCharacteristic of a patriarch; venerable.
adjRelating to a system run by males, rather than females; relating to a patriarchy.
Sentence Examples
Tom believes in a patriarchal society.
The patriarchal system has always been more prevalent.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old ____ society gave all property rights to men, not women.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ structure of the organization meant that women rarely advanced to senior leadership positions.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Late Latin patriarchālis, from patriarcha + -ālis. Sychronically analyzable as patriarch + -al.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"About whose patriarchal knee / Late the little children clung."
— 1852, Alfred Tennyson, Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old ____ society gave all property rights to men, not women.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ structure of the organization meant that women rarely advanced to senior leadership positions.