Patriarch Definition
pātrē-ärk
patriarchs
noun
patriarchs
A man who rules a family, clan, or tribe.
American Heritage
One of the antediluvian progenitors of the human race, from Adam to Noah.
American Heritage
The father and ruler of a family or tribe, as one of the founders of the ancient Hebrew families: in the Bible, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons were patriarchs.
Webster's New World
A bishop in the early Christian Church, esp. a bishop of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, or Jerusalem.
Webster's New World
The pope (Patriarch of the West), or any of certain bishops ranking immediately after him, as the bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Other Word Forms of Patriarch
Noun
Singular:
patriarchPlural:
patriarchsOrigin of Patriarch
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Old English patriarcha, from Late Latin patriarcha; later reinforced by Old French patriarche, from Byzantine Greek πατριάρχης (“the founder of the tribe/family”), from Ancient Greek πατριά (patria, “generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family”) + -αρχης (-arkhēs, “-arch”).
From Wiktionary
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Middle English patriarche from Old French from Late Latin patriarcha from Greek patriarkhēs patriā lineage (from patēr patr- father pəter- in Indo-European roots) -arkhēs -arch
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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