noun · formal
matriarch
UK/ˈmeɪtrɑːk/US/ˈmeɪtriˌɑrk/MA·tri·arch
a woman who is the head of a family or tribe; a female leader of a household
Examples
“The matriarch of the family managed all major decisions.”
“In many cultures the grandmother acts as the matriarch.”
“She became the matriarch after her husband's death.”
Band 8 sentence
“As the family's matriarch, she not only managed the household finances but also mediated disputes among relatives with quiet authority.”
Collocations
- family matriarch
- the matriarch of
Word family
Common mistakes
She is a matriarch woman.→She is a matriarch.
a matriarchal woman→a matriarchal society / a matriarchal family
Say it for a higher band
5female head→6family head→7+matriarch
Synonyms
female head
grandmother
Easily confused
matriarchal
“She is widely respected as the matriarch of the clan.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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