# patriarchy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpejtɹiɑɹki/ · frequency rank #24,857

## Definitions
1. A social system in which the father is head of the household, having authority over women and children, and in which lineage is traced through the male line.
2. A power structure in which men are dominant.
3. The office of a patriarch; a patriarchate.

## Etymology
From Latin patriarchia, from Byzantine Greek πατριαρχία (patriarkhía), from Koine Greek πατριάρχης (patriárkhēs, “patriarch”), from πατρία (patría) and ἄρχω (árkhō). By surface analysis, patri- + -archy.

## Easily confused with
- **patriarch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patriarch-vs-patriarchy)
- **patriarchal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patriarchal-vs-patriarchy)

## Common misspellings (16)
`aptriarchy`, `partiarchy`, `patirarchy`, `patrairchy`, `patriacrhy`, `patriarcchy`, `patriarchhy`, `patriarchyy`, `patriarcyh`, `patriarhcy`, `patriarrchy`, `patrirachy`, `patrriarchy`, `pattriarchy`, `ppatriarchy`, `ptariarchy`

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