Definitions for patriarch
ˈpeɪ triˌɑrkpa·tri·arch

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 4 votes

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 2 votes

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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. PATRIARCHnoun

   Etymology: patriarche, Fr. patriarcha, Latin.

   1. One who governs by paternal right; the father and ruler of a family.

   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.

   2. A bishop superior to archbishops.

   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.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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 DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

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.]

WikidataRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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. patriarchēs—patēr, father, archē, beginning.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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.

Matched Categories

1. • Forefather
   • Old Man
   • Spiritual Leader

Anagrams for patriarch »

1. phratriac

How to pronounce patriarch?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Antonio Mazzitelli:

   He is the patriarch.

2. Nancy Pelosi:

   My husband Paul and our entire family are devastated by the loss of our patriarch, my beloved brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, tommy was the finest public servant I have ever known.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=patriarch
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Patriarch
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=patriarch
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriarch
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=patriarch
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=patriarch
9. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Patriarch