Patriarchy

Business people meeting in a glass office.
Thomas Barwick / Getty Images
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.

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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 August 9, 2022).