patriarch Definition

patriarch
noun

1. The male head of a family or tribe. Compare matriarch sense 1.

Thesaurus: paterfamilias, father, elder, master, ancestor.
2. In the Eastern Orthodox Church: a high-ranking bishop.
3. In the RC Church: the pope.
4. In the Old Testament: any of the ancestors of the human race or of the tribes of Israel, eg Adam, Abraham or Jacob.
5. A venerable old man, especially the senior member of a community or group.

Etymology: 13c: from Greek patriarches a senior bishop, or the father of a family.