Definition of matriarchnext
as in dowager
a dignified usually elderly woman of some rank or authority even though she was 87, the matriarch of the family knew everything that was going on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matriarch Stitt points out a photograph of Olney in a hallway near the bathroom, while recalling sharing wine with Lulu Peyraud, the beloved matriarch of the Domaine Tempier wine estate in Provence, among a collage of other French memories. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 The streamer and Shondaland announced Thursday that an untitled spinoff about the early life of the future matriarch of the Bridgerton clan is in the works. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Netflix and Shondaland on Thursday announced a limited series about the early years of Bridgerton family's matriarch, Lady Violet. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Like 2023’s Queen Charlotte, the new show will focus on the younger days of a character from the main series — in this case, Lady Violet Bridgerton, the matriarch of the show’s central family. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for matriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matriarch
Noun
  • The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025
  • The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
    — Stephanie Balkwill, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Investigators also found that the bus matron, who had nearly 20 years of experience, made no effort to communicate with the driver or contact the school.
    — Doug Williams, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • An extremely unattractive teenage girl who resembled a forty-year-old matron in a women’s prison rather than a young woman fresh on the road to self-discovery approached me.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Matriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matriarch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!