patriarch — meaning in English
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English meaning
- patriarch noun A senior bishop who ranks above others, especially in Orthodox or Catholic church hierarchy.
- progenitor noun A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
Senses
patriarch is used for these senses in English:
- patriarch (Christianity) 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. [from 9th c.]
- patriarch The male head of a household or nuclear family.
- progenitor A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.
patriarch — full definition
- noun A senior bishop who ranks above others, especially in Orthodox or Catholic church hierarchy.
- noun The male head of a family, tribe, or community, especially a respected elder.
- noun The founder of a movement, organization, or tradition.
progenitor — full definition
- noun A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
- noun A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.
- noun An ancestral form of a species.
- noun A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model.