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patriarca

patriarch

noun pah-tree-AHR-kah Rare
People & Society Religion

Origin: From Greek 'patriarkhes' (ruling father), via Latin 'patriarcha'.

Usage Note

Patriarca is masculine despite ending in -a — like il profeta, il poeta, il papa. The plural is i patriarchi (not i patriarca). It refers to the head of a patriarchal family, a religious patriarch (e.g. il Patriarca di Venezia in the Catholic Church), or figuratively the elder of a community.

Examples

"Il patriarca della famiglia riunisce tutti a Natale."

Natural Translation

The family patriarch gathers everyone at Christmas.

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