patriarchy UK /ˈpeɪ̯tɹɪɑːkɪ/US /ˈpejtɹiɑɹki/ noun3 •A social system in which the father is head of the household, having authority over women and children, and in which lineage is traced through the male line. •A power structure in which men are dominant.England is under the rule of a patriarchy. — 1929 •The office of a patriarch; a patriarchate. formspatriarchies