# patriarchate

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpeɪtɹiɑːkət/ · frequency rank #56,351

## Definitions
1. A patriarchal system or community.
2. The term of office of a Christian patriarch.
3. The office or ecclesial jurisdiction of such a patriarch.
4. The office-space occupied by a patriarch and his staff.

## Etymology
From Middle French patriarcat, from Old French patriarcat, from Medieval Latin patriarchatus, from Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “patriarch”). By surface analysis, patriarch + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, the concrete charge of it, a body of people involved with it).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/patriarchate