matriarchy

ma·tri·ar·chy  (mtr-ärk)

n. pl. ma·tri·ar·chies In both senses also called matriarchate.

1. A social system in which the mother is head of the family.

2. A family, community, or society based on this system or governed by women.

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matriarchy

Noun

pl -chies a form of social organization in which a female is head of the family or society, and descent and kinship are traced through the female line

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matriarchy

1. a community in which the mother or oldest female is the supreme authority, and descent is traced through the female line.
2. government by females, with one as supreme. — matriarchist, n. — matriarchic, matriarchical, adj.

See also: Women

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a society organized with the mother or oldest female as head of the tribe or clan, with descent being traced through the female line. — matriarch, n. — matriarchal, adj.

See also: Government

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a system of social order wherein final authority is vested in the mother or eldest female and in which descent is reckoned in the female line. — matriarchal, adj.

See also: Mother

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

matriarchy - a form of social organization in which a female is the family head and title is traced through the female line matriarchate social organisation, social organization, social structure, social system, structure - the people in a society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships; "the social organization of England and America is very different"; "sociologists have studied the changing structure of the family"