/ ˈpeɪtriɑːk; NAmE -ɑːrk/ noun
1.
the male head of a family or community
—compare matriarch
2.
an old man that people have a lot of respect for
3.
Patriarch the title of a most senior bishop (= a senior priest) in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Church
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French patriarche , via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek patriarkhēs , from patria family + arkhēs ruling.