patriarchal
adjective
pa·tri·ar·chal
| \ ˌpā-trē-ˈär-kəl
\
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Definition of patriarchal
: of, relating to, or being a patriarch or patriarchy
a patriarchal culture a patriarchal religion
Examples of patriarchal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Director Denise Blasor handles this challenge ingeniously in a production that, fittingly for a work on the necessity of female community as a corrective to patriarchal culture, is distinguished by its teamwork. — Los Angeles Times, "Theater in L.A. this week: John Leguizamo’s ‘Latin History for Morons’ and more," 1 Sep. 2019 My wife and did purposely opt-out of many of the patriarchal traditions for our wedding ceremony. — Sean Wellington, Essence, "Why I (Proudly) Took My Wife’s Last Name When We Got Married," 30 Aug. 2019 Deeply rooted in patriarchal culture, this dynamic . . — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Now Renoir Is Problematic," 27 Aug. 2019 Wait a minute, maybe this is sort of internalized patriarchal thought? — Lizzie O'leary, The Atlantic, "‘For So Long Women Have Been Marginalized by Medicine.’," 27 Aug. 2019 In retrospect, the patriarchal (and often patronizing) figure of Charles Xavier trying to tame Jean is complicated, to say the least. — Time, "Review: Late Night Is a Pitch-Perfect Workplace Comedy," 7 June 2019 Sometimes, the label is chosen to signify one’s engagement in some form of modern witchcraft; just as often, it’s used as a way to express opposition to patriarchal constraints. — Pam Grossman, The Atlantic, "The Wizard of Oz Invented the ‘Good Witch’," 25 Aug. 2019 For the purposes of their argument, Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields concentrate on the patriarchal, evangelical-fundamentalist Southern population that has been cultivated by the Republican Party. — Curtis Wilkie, Washington Post, "A ‘grand bargain’ that secured the South for the GOP," 16 Aug. 2019 The patriarchal control exerted by Malik on Javed falls even more firmly on Javed’s younger sister, Shazia (Nikita Mehta), who struggles for a margin of freedom while avoiding any overt challenges to her father’s authority. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "A Teen-Ager Is Saved by the Music of Bruce Springsteen in “Blinded by the Light”," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patriarchal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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