Definition and Usage
Patriarchy literally means "the rule of the father" and comes from the Greek πατριάρχης (patriarkhēs), "father of a race" or "chief of a race, patriarch", which is a compound of πατριά (patria), " lineage, descent" (from πατήρ - patēr, "father") and ἄρχω (arxō), "I rule".
Historically, the term patriarchy was used to refer to autocratic rule by the male head of a family. However, in modern times, it more generally refers to social systems in which power is primarily held by adult men.
Read more about this topic: Patriarchy (anthropology)
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