matrilineal

Definition

Tracing descent only through female ancestors.

Etymology

From matri- + lineal. Coined by British government anthropologist Northcote Whitridge Thomas in 1904 along with patrilineal.

Example Sentences

• "Kerala traditionally has matrilineal inheritance."
• "Enkidu expresses the values of nature, matrilineal conservatism, and the populism of the assembly, the assembly of village elders from the days before military dictatorship."