patriarch

as in grandfather
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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of patriarch But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Bello) and son Cane (Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025 However, their business begins to crumble when patriarch, Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany of Mindhunter and The Iron Claw) is forced to recover from two heart attacks. EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025 But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025 The Conners’ lives managed to move forward with surprising twists and turns, like patriarch Dan eventually dating and marrying musician/bartender Louise (Katey Sagal) during Season 4. Jim Halterman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for patriarch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarch
Noun
  • The project includes a portrait of his grandfather.
    Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Dogecoin, regarded as the grandfather of memecoins, has risen a blistering 480 percent this year despite already being the largest memecoin in existence by far.
    Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In addition to tagging along for the film's premiere, Brisket has also been seen all over Powell's Instagram doing everything from wearing matching cowboy hats to riding along in a shoulder sling and even appearing in thirst traps alongside his shirtless dad.
    Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • And the cuteness has grown as Meg revealed that Foe became a dad last summer.
    Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • It is understood that father and son didn’t meet before Charles and Camilla headed to Italy.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • In 1913, his father acquired the famed Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet, marking the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the historic Parisian Maison, Christie’s said.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There’s also a concern about acting as if your son were a source of shame, a secret to be hidden from the paterfamilias.
    Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2022
  • In a sense this is a classic family drama: the struggle over the paterfamilias’s legacy, complete with allegations of late-in-life changes to the will.
    Benjamin Soskis, Town & Country, 27 Oct. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Patriarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarch. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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