Standard Lemma guide

kyriarchy

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkaɪɹɪˌɑːki/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɪ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈkaɪɹiˌɑɹki/
  • General-American: /ˈkɪ-/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A system of ruling and oppression in which many people may interact and act as oppressor or oppressed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κύριος (kúrios, “lord, master”) + -archy (“rule of”), modelled after German Herrschaft (“lordship; dominion, reign”) and expanding on patriarchy. Coined by Romanian-born German-American feminist theologian Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza in 1992.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 君尊結構 /君尊结构 (jūnzūn jiégòu) — system of ruling and oppression
  • Finnish: kyriarkia — system of ruling and oppression
  • French: kyriarchie — system of ruling and oppression
  • Galician: quiriarquía — system of ruling and oppression
  • German: Kyriarchie — system of ruling and oppression
  • German: Kyriarchat — system of ruling and oppression
  • Hebrew: קיריארכיה — system of ruling and oppression
  • Spanish: kiriarcado — system of ruling and oppression
  • Ukrainian: кієра́рхія (kijerárxija) — system of ruling and oppression