Science, Tech, Math › Social Sciences Patriarchy Share Flipboard Email Print Thomas Barwick / Getty Images Social Sciences Sociology Key Concepts Major Sociologists News & Issues Research, Samples, and Statistics Recommended Reading Psychology Archaeology Economics Ergonomics By Ashley Crossman Updated on May 14, 2017 Definition: A patriarchy is a social system in which family systems or entire societies are organized around the idea of father-rule, where males are the primary authority figures. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Crossman, Ashley. "Patriarchy." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/patriarchy-3026445. Crossman, Ashley. (2020, August 27). Patriarchy. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/patriarchy-3026445 Crossman, Ashley. "Patriarchy." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/patriarchy-3026445 (accessed March 21, 2023). copy citation Featured Video