Matriarch

Noun

 * 1) A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.
 * 2) A female founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.

Related terms

 * matron
 * matrimony, matrimonial
 * maternal

Thesaurus
Methuselah, abbess, antediluvian, antique, back number, chatelaine, conservative, dad, dam, dame, dodo, dowager, elder, first lady, fogy, fossil, foster mother, fud, fuddy-duddy, genetrix, goodwife, governess, grande dame, granny, great lady, has-been, homemaker, housewife, longhair, ma, madam, mam, mama, mammy, mater, materfamilias, maternal ancestor, matron, mid-Victorian, mistress, mom, mommy, mossback, mother, mother superior, mummy, old believer, old crock, old dodo, old fogy, old liner, old man, old poop, old woman, old-timer, patriarch, pop, pops, reactionary, regular old fogy, relic, square, starets, stepmother, the old woman, traditionalist

Etymology
From Latin mater (meaning mother) + -arch.

Translations

 * Dutch:
 * Esperanto: (1)
 * Finnish: (1)
 * French: (1)


 * Portuguese:
 * Scottish Gaelic:
 * Spanish: matriarca
 * Swedish: