patriarch
/ˈpeɪtɹiɑɹk/noun
patriarch is spelled P-A-T-R-I-A-R-C-H: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, patriarch means “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…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of patriarch is patriarchs.
How many letters and syllables are in patriarch?
| Letters | 9: P-A-T-R-I-A-R-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.0 times per million words; the 19,336th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is patriarch?
Patriarch appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce patriarch?
- UK /ˈpeɪtɹɪɑːk/
- UK /ˈpætɹiɑːk/
- US /ˈpeɪtɹiɑɹk/
Patriarch has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-patriarch.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with patriarch?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as patriarch from its last stressed vowel (/eɪtɹiɑɹk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of patriarch
- patriarchs plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does patriarch mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
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
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
A founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.
- 4
An old leader of a village or community.
- 5
The male progenitor of a genetic or tribal line, or of a clan or extended family.
- 6
The male head of a household or nuclear family.
- 7
A shade of purple
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Patriarch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | patriarche |
| German | Patriarch , Erzvater |
| Portuguese | patriarca |
| Spanish | patriarca |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does patriarch come from?
From Middle English patriark, patriarche, from Late Latin patriarcha; later reinforced by Old French patriarche, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “the founder of the tribe/family”), from Ancient Greek πατριά (patriá, “generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family”) + -ᾰ́ρχης (-ắrkhēs, “-arch”), with some senses likely influenced directly by Latin pāter (“father”) or Ancient Greek πᾰτήρ (pătḗr, “father”). Compare matriarch. By surface analysis, patri- + -arch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).