patriarch
noun
pa·tri·arch
ˈpā-trē-ˌärk
1
a
: one of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people
Abraham was a patriarch of the Israelites.
b
: a man who is father or founder
The newspaper patriarch celebrated his 90th birthday.
c(1)
: the oldest member or representative of a group
The cypress … is the patriarch of native trees, going back to the time of the dinosaur.—Amer. Guide Series: Texas
(2)
: a venerable old man
… a whiskered patriarch, spry for his age …—Frank Sullivan
d
: a man who is head of a patriarchy
2
a
: any of the bishops of the ancient or Eastern Orthodox sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem or the ancient and Western see of Rome with authority over other bishops
b
: the head of any of various Eastern churches
c
: a Roman Catholic bishop next in rank to the pope with purely titular or with metropolitan (see metropolitan entry 2 sense 1) jurisdiction
3
: a Latter-day Saint of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction
Cite this Entry
“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarch. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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