as in fathers
a man who is the head of a family
Investors worried that the aging patriarch was soon to be replaced atop the family business by his less reliable oldest son.
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Recent Examples of patriarchs
Rebekah, in the Hebrew Bible, matriarch who is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob, both key patriarchs.
—
Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Perhaps, for a man who has always lived in the shadow of distant patriarchs, the only thing worse than perpetually wondering what his father really thought would be finding out for sure.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
After that session, the three patriarchs began reaching out to other heavyweight clans.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025
In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
Forty years after opening, Union Square Cafe is one of the prosperous patriarchs of the New York restaurant world.
—Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Perhaps, for a man who has always lived in the shadow of distant patriarchs, the only thing worse than perpetually wondering what his father really thought would be finding out for sure.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
After that session, the three patriarchs began reaching out to other heavyweight clans.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025
In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
Forty years after opening, Union Square Cafe is one of the prosperous patriarchs of the New York restaurant world.
—Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchs
Noun
-
While there are plenty of fathers who do this job in the modern age, the load-bearing parent is still the mother of the family much more often than not.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Absent parents, especially fathers, represent a significant cause of estrangement; mental illness is often a factor too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The captains were the fathers, or at least the grandfathers, of this genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Her grandfathers were military.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Harry maintains a close group of friends, many of them fellow dads.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Both moms and dads alike appreciate the reprieve with their children.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchs. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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