- a form of social organization in which the father is the supreme authority in the family, clan, or tribe and descent is reckoned in the male line, with the children belonging to the father's clan or tribe.
- a society, community, or country based on this social organization.
- a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women: The corporate glass ceiling is one consequence of patriarchy in education and business.
- the men in power in a society: The Patriarchy is vested in maintenance of the status quo.
- a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and descent, kinship, and title are traced through the male line
- any society governed by such a system
