What does Patriarch mean?

Definitions for Patriarch
ˈpeɪ triˌɑrkpa·tri·arch

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Patriarch.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. patriarchnoun

    title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)

  2. patriarch, paterfamiliasnoun

    the male head of family or tribe

  3. patriarchnoun

    any of the early biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race

  4. patriarchnoun

    a man who is older and higher in rank than yourself

Wiktionary

  1. patriarchnoun

    The highest form of bishop, in the ancient world having authority over other bishops in the province but now generally as an honorary title; in Roman Catholicism, considered a bishop second only to the Pope in rank.

  2. patriarchnoun

    In Biblical contexts, a male leader of a family, tribe or ethnic group, especially one of the twelve sons of Jacob (considered to have created the twelve tribes of Israel) or (in plural) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

  3. patriarchnoun

    A founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.

  4. Etymology: patriarcha, from patriarcha; later reinforced by patriarche, patriarche, from patriarcha, from πατριάρχης, from πατριά + -αρχης.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. PATRIARCHnoun

    Etymology: patriarche, Fr. patriarcha, Latin.

    So spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve
    Persisted, yet submiss. John Milton, Paradise Lost.

    The monarch oak, the patriarch of the trees,
    Shoots rising up, and spreads by slow degrees,
    Three centuries he grows, and three he stays
    Supreme in state; and in three more decays. Dryden.

    The patriarchs for an hundred years had been of one house, to the prejudice of the church, and there yet remained one bishop of the same kindred. Walter Raleigh.

    Where secular primates were heretofore given, the ecclesiastical laws have ordered patriarchs and ecclesiastical primates to be placed. John Ayliffe, Parergon.

Wikipedia

  1. Patriarch

    The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certain cases also popes – such as the Pope of Rome or Pope of Alexandria, and catholicoi – such as Catholicos Karekin II).The word is derived from Greek πατριάρχης (patriarchēs), meaning "chief or father of a family", a compound of πατριά (patria), meaning "family", and ἄρχειν (archein), meaning "to rule".Originally, a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is termed patriarchy. Historically, a patriarch has often been the logical choice to act as ethnarch of the community identified with his religious confession within a state or empire of a different creed (such as Christians within the Ottoman Empire). The term developed an ecclesiastical meaning within Christianity. The office and the ecclesiastical circumscription of a Christian patriarch is termed a patriarchate. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are referred to as the three patriarchs of the people of Israel, and the period during which they lived is termed the Patriarchal Age. The word patriarch originally acquired its religious meaning in the Septuagint version of the Bible.

ChatGPT

  1. patriarch

    A patriarch is a male leader or head of a family, community, group, or organization. It often implies authority, seniority or a respected status derived from age or experience. The term is also used in specific religious contexts to denote a high-ranking bishop or the ancient leaders of certain faiths.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Patriarchnoun

    the father and ruler of a family; one who governs his family or descendants by paternal right; -- usually applied to heads of families in ancient history, especially in Biblical and Jewish history to those who lived before the time of Moses

  2. Patriarchnoun

    a dignitary superior to the order of archbishops; as, the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Antioch

  3. Patriarchnoun

    a venerable old man; an elder. Also used figuratively

  4. Etymology: [F. patriarche, L. patriarcha, Gr. paria`rchhs, fr. paria` lineage, especially on the father's side, race; path`r father + 'archo`s a leader, chief, fr. 'a`rchein to lead, rule. See Father, Archaic.]

Wikidata

  1. Patriarch

    Originally, a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is termed patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά, "lineage, progeny", esp. by the father's side and ἄρχων meaning "leader", "chief", "ruler", "king", etc. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are referred to as the three patriarchs of the people of Israel, and the period during which they lived is termed the Patriarchal Age. It originally acquired its religious meaning in the Septuagint version of the Bible. The word has acquired specific ecclesiastical meanings. In particular, the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East are termed Patriarchs. The office and ecclesiastical circumscription of such a Patriarch is termed a Patriarchate. Historically, a Patriarch may often be the logical choice to act as Ethnarch, representing the community that is identified with his religious confession within a state or empire of a different creed.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Patriarch

    pā′tri-ärk, n. one who governs his family by paternal right: (B.) one of the early heads of families from Adam downwards to Abraham, Jacob, and his sons: in Eastern churches, a dignitary superior to an archbishop.—adjs. Patriarch′al, Patriarch′ic, belonging or subject to a patriarch: like a patriarch: of the nature of a patriarch.—ns. Pā′triarchalism, the condition of tribal government by a patriarch; Pā′triarchate, the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch or church dignitary: the residence of a patriarch; Pā′triarchism, government by a patriarch; Pā′triarchy, a community of related families under the authority of a patriarch. [O. Fr.,—L.,—Gr. patriarchēspatēr, father, archē, beginning.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Patriarch

    in Church history is the name given originally to the bishops of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria, and later to those also of Constantinople and Jerusalem, who held a higher rank than other bishops, and exercised a certain authority over the bishops in their districts. The title is in vogue in the Greek, Syrian, Armenian, and other Churches. It was originally given to the chief of a race or clan, the members of which were called after him.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce Patriarch?

How to say Patriarch in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Patriarch in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Patriarch in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of Patriarch in a Sentence

  1. Nicholas Alahverdian:

    Perpetually restless, Thomas Wolfe was “without a home — a vagabond since [he] was seven” and seeking out where he belonged physically (i.e. in Asheville, his home or Harvard) as well as intellectually. This concept that he was indeed without a father led him to gain greater understanding, eventually realizing that his search for a patriarch was not merely a “father in the flesh,” but a substitution for God, a guiding light, and an alluring source of inspiration.

  2. Antonio Spadaro:

    The question of all questions is, what is Patriarch Kirill doing and what will Patriarch Kirill do ?

  3. Petros Vasiliadis:

    The patriarch and the pope share radical ideas and both have the burning desire to move a step forward towards the rapprochement of the two Churches.

  4. Deacon Andrei Kuraev:

    There's an attempt by Patriarch Kirill to offer himself to the state and to the Kremlin as a faithful pillar, a faithful ally. There is an illusion in the Kremlin that they can use this ally to promote the correct electoral behavior, i am against this political union.

  5. Pope Francis:

    It would be our second face-to-face meeting, nothing to do with the war, but now, The Patriarch too agrees : let's stop, it could be an ambiguous signal.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Patriarch#10000#30361#100000

Translations for Patriarch

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for Patriarch »

Translation

Find a translation for the Patriarch definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Patriarch." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 15 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Patriarch>.

Discuss these Patriarch definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for Patriarch? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    Patriarch

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    either of two different animal or plant species living in close association but not interdependent
    A lank
    B bonzer
    C tantamount
    D commensal

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for Patriarch: