Definition
patrilinies
noun
- Plural of patriliny; systems of kinship, descent, or inheritance traced through the male line.
Usage: anthropology; formal
Examples
- Many traditional societies organized their patrilinies to determine property rights and social status.
- Anthropologists study patrilinies to understand how kinship systems function across different cultures.
- In some patrilinies, only sons inherit land and titles from their fathers.
- The research compared patrilinies in African and Asian societies.
- Patrilinies often determine membership in clans and family groups.