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patriarchal

/ˌpeɪtɹiˈɑɹkl̩/ adjective

Latin root: patriarchālis Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about patriarchal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Characteristic of a form of social organization in which the male is the family head and title is traced through the male line.
  2. Relating to or characteristic of a man who is older or higher in rank.

Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin patriarchālis, from patriarcha + -ālis. Sychronically analyzable as patriarch + -al.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)