From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Womenmatriarchalma‧tri‧ar‧chal /ˌmeɪtriˈɑːkl◂ $ -ˈɑːr-/ adjective1SSWWOMANruled or controlled by womena matriarchal society2SSWWOMANrelating to or typical of a matriarch → patriarchalExamples from the Corpusmatriarchal• A photograph taken in 1908 shows Belle, strongly matriarchal among her children.• Whether or not she was cooking, she regularly donned an apron as a symbolically matriarchalgesture that she was in charge of domesticarrangements.• Clearly, then, Laura Holmes's family is tribal, matriarchal, insular.