patrilineal
pat-ruh-LIN-ee-ul
/ˌpæt.rɪˈlɪn.i.əl/
Relating to or based on relationship to the father or descent through the male line.
Refers specifically to kinship systems, inheritance rules, and family lineages passed strictly down father-child bonds.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 'pater' (father) and 'linea' (line, thread). Used in 19th-century kinship anthropology to categorize social structures of inheritance.
Word relationships
- agnatic: Agnatic is a specialized legal/genealogical term for male-line kin.
- matrilineal: Tracing descent and inheritance exclusively through female lines.
Commonly confused with
- patriarchal: Patriarchal refers to governance/rule by men, while patrilineal refers to kinship descent lines.
Word family
- patrilineage (noun): Line of descent traced through the male line.
Collocations
- patrilineal descent
- patrilineal succession
- patrilineal system
Example sentences
- "In patrilineal societies, family names and ancestral property pass exclusively from fathers to their sons." Anthropological research
Memory hook
PATR (father) + LINE = Lineage of the father. Father's lineage line.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'patriarchal', which refers to power and government control, not strictly lineage inheritance.
Fun facts
- Many societies are patrilineal without being strictly patriarchal, showing how lineage and political authority can differ.
Related words
Explore more words
matrilineal, patrimony, ambilineal, lineage, patriarch, ancestral
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