Noun: matriarchate 'mey-tree,aa(r)-kut
- A form of social organization in which a female is the family head and title is traced through the female line
"Some anthropologists argue that true matriarchates are rare in human societies";
- matriarchy
Derived forms: matriarchates
Type of: social organisation [Brit], social organization, social structure, social system, structure
Encyclopedia: Matriarchate