noun
patriarchy
PAY-tree-ar-kee/ˈpeɪtriɑːrki/
A social system in which men hold primary power.
Under patriarchy, men hold most positions of power in society.
Etymology
The family-and-rule combination originally described a male head of a family. That household model extends to the social sense: authority held by fathers or elder men becomes a system of male power.
In context
how patriarchy patriarchy or the structures of male power define the physical spaces, social practices and policy objectives of government.
More examples
- The book examines how patriarchy shapes family life.
- Activists challenge the patriarchy that controls the country's institutions.
- These patriarchies differ in how much freedom women have.
Forms
patriarchy · patriarchies
patriarchal adjective — Organized around men's authority and control.
patriarch noun — A man who heads a family.
Similar words
- male dominance
- Describes men's greater power without necessarily naming a social system.
- male supremacy
- Emphasizes men's asserted superiority or right to dominate women.