matriarchate

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From matriarch +‎ -ate, after patriarchate.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

matriarchate (plural matriarchates)

  1. A matriarchal system or community. [from 19th c.]
    • 1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae:
      Like Byron's seraglio, the boudoir is a matriarchate guarded by eunuchs […].
  2. The position of a matriarch.

Usage notes[edit]

In the context of political science, this term would describe a kind of polity.

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]