adjective
- relating to or based on descent through the father's line; tracing ancestry or inheritance through male relatives
Usage: anthropology, sociology; also spelled patrilineal or patrilineal
Examples
- In many patrilineal societies, property and titles pass from father to son.
- The family's patrilineal heritage was carefully documented in genealogical records.
- Some cultures practice patrilineal inheritance, while others follow matrilineal systems.
- Anthropologists study patrilineal kinship patterns across different civilizations.
- The tribe maintained a patrilineal structure for determining clan membership.