What does matrilineal mean?
Matrilineal is an adjective meaning that something concerns descent, kinship, or inheritance traced through the female line. In genealogy and anthropology, the term describes lineages in which relationships and succession are recorded from mothers to children, including through daughters. It can also characterize inheritance systems in which property or status follows the female line, though the precise rules vary by community and historical period. The word is chiefly formal and scholarly and is often used in discussions of social organization, customary law, and family history. Matrilineal should not be taken to mean that women necessarily hold political authority: a society can trace descent through women while its leadership and decision-making remain predominantly male. Conversely, a society led by women need not be matrilineal. Knowing the term helps distinguish a principle of descent from other features of kinship, such as residence, authority, or the everyday roles of mothers and daughters. Its usefulness lies in making the line of descent explicit where general terms such as “maternal” or “traditional” can be misleading.
adjectiveRelating to descent, kinship, or inheritance traced through the female line.
- Relating to descent, kinship, or inheritance traced through the female line.
"The scholar examined the matrilineal traditions of the community and the role of daughters in transmitting property and status."
"Her research focuses on matrilineal descent among communities in the region."
"Under the matrilineal inheritance system, land passed from mothers to daughters."
A matrilineal society traces descent through women; it does not necessarily give women political power.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does matrilineal come from?
The English word dates from the early 17th century and reflects Latin matrilinealis, formed from mater, meaning “mother,” and linea, meaning “line.” Related English words such as maternal, matriarch, matrix, and matricide preserve the same Latin root mater, “mother,” in different formations.
Related word forms
How matrilineal is actually used
The term is chiefly formal and academic, especially in genealogy, anthropology, history, and legal studies. It is more precise than “maternal” when the focus is on a line of descent rather than an individual mother.
Easily confused with matrilineal
Matrilineal describes descent or inheritance through the female line, whereas matrilocal describes a married couple's customary residence with or near the wife's family.