Meaning & use
patriarchal
Last updated
Relating to or characteristic of a social system in which men hold primary power and authority.
See it in a sentence
The novel critiques patriarchal attitudes that limited women's career choices.
Anthropologists studied how patriarchal structures shaped inheritance laws in the region.
A note on using this word
Frequently used in discussions of sociology, history, and gender studies.
Words with an opposite meaning
matriarchal
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