gynarchy
|gyn-arch-y|
🇺🇸
/ˈɡaɪnɑːrki/
🇬🇧
/ˈɡaɪnɑːki/
rule by women
Etymology
'gynarchy' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'gynē', where 'gynē' meant 'woman', and from Greek 'arkhē', where 'arkhē' meant 'rule' or 'beginning'.
'gynarchy' was formed in English from the classical Greek elements 'gynē' + 'arkhē' (via scholarly/ New Latin coinages) and entered English usage as a learned formation meaning 'rule of women'.
Initially, the components literally signified 'woman' + 'rule'; over time the compound has retained this original sense and is used to denote female rule or female dominance, though it remains relatively rare and often used in scholarly or rhetorical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
rule or government by women; a social or political system in which women hold the primary positions of authority.
Some historians discuss periods in ancient societies that approximated a gynarchy, where women held political and religious authority.
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Noun 2
(rare/figurative) Dominance of women in a particular sphere (e.g., workplace, family, cultural life) without formal governmental institutions.
When women came to dominate the editorial staff, some joked that the magazine had become a gynarchy.
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Last updated: 2025/08/25 09:33