patriarch

Patriarch is a term with multiple related meanings. It derives from the Greek patriarkhēs, from patēr meaning “father” and arkhē meaning “rule,” originally referring to the head of a family or clan and later to leaders of large communities.

In Judaism, the term “patriarchs” refers to the founding males of the Israelites—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—whose stories frame the origin and covenant themes of the Hebrew Bible. In Christian usage, a patriarch can denote a revered male ancestor or, more commonly, a senior bishop who heads a major see or church administration. The title has both historical and contemporary significance in different Christian traditions.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and in many Eastern Catholic Churches, a patriarch is a leading bishop of a major see or autocephalous church. Notable examples include the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. There are also national or regional patriarchs within various churches, such as Moscow, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria, reflecting historical jurisdictional structures. In the Catholic Church, the term is used for certain Eastern Catholic leaders and historically for Latin patriarchates; today it denotes high-ranking hierarchs within specific rites.

In secular use, “patriarch” commonly denotes the male head of a family or the senior male figure in a lineage or organization. The word can imply traditional authority and, in some contexts, evokes patriarchal social structures that influence gender roles and governance.