patriarch
noun/ˈpeɪtriɑːk/
/ˈpeɪtriɑːrk/
- the male head of a family or community compare matriarchTopics Family and relationshipsc2
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- an old man that people have a lot of respect for
- Patriarchthe title of a most senior bishop (= a senior priest) in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Church
- the Patriarch of Constantinople
- the Orthodox Patriarch
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French patriarche, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek patriarkhēs, from patria ‘family’ + arkhēs ‘ruling’.
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