n., pl., -chies. In both senses also called patriarchate.
- A social system in which the father is the head of the family and men have authority over women and children.
- A family, community, or society based on this system or governed by men.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
