Meanings
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1
noun
the male head of a family, tribe, or social group
As the family patriarch, he hosted four generations at the annual gathering.
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2
noun
a respected older man regarded as the founder or leading figure of a field or community
The retired director was treated as the patriarch of regional theater.
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3
noun
a title for certain senior bishops, especially heads of Eastern Christian churches
The patriarch presided over the church's synod.
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4
noun
one of the ancestral fathers of the Jewish people named in the Bible, especially Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob
Abraham is honored as a patriarch in several religious traditions.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Late Latin patriarcha, from Greek patriarkhes ("chief or father of a family"), combining patria ("lineage, family") with arkhes ("ruler"). The religious title and the broader family and founder senses all retain the idea of paternal authority.