matriarchy (/ˈmeɪ.tri.ɑː.ki/)
noun · Advanced · Culture & Society
🔊 /ˈmeɪ.tri.ɑː.ki/
Meaning
Meaning: female-led system
A social system in which women hold most of the power, or in which descent is traced through the mother. It is rarer than patriarchy.
Examples
🗣 Anthropologists studied the small matriarchy where property passed down through the women of each family.
Etymology
From Latin ‘mater’ (mother) and Greek ‘arkhein’ (to rule), modeled on ‘patriarchy’.
How & Where It’s Used
Used in anthropology and gender studies.
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Tags: gender, power