matrilineal descent

Definition of Matrilineal Descent

(noun) Tracing descent through the mother’s side of the family.

Matrilineal Descent Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: mat·ri·lin·e·al de·scent

Audio Pronunciation

Usage Notes

• Plural: matrilineal descents
• In matrilineal societies the mother’s brother or uncle typically has responsibilities related to the sons; a kinship pattern called avunculate.
• Matrilateral (also called uterine) refers to an individual’s relations on their mother’s side.
• In contrast to matrilineal descent, patrilineal descent is tracing an individual’s descent through their father’s side of the family.
• A type of unilineal descent.
• Variant spelling: matri-lineal descent
• Also called:
  • female-line
  • matrilineality
  • matrilinear descent
  • matriliny
  • uterine descent
• A genealogist can trace descent (adverb) matrilineally through the mother’s side.

Additional Information

• Family and Kinship – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “matrilineal” and “descent” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• ambilineal descent
• bilateral descent
• bilineal descent
• clan
• descendant
• descent group
• generation
• extended family
• kinship
• lineage
• nonunilineal descent

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Works Consulted

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Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Cite the Definition of Matrilineal Descent

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “matrilineal descent.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/matrilineal-descent/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

matrilineal descent. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/matrilineal-descent/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “matrilineal descent.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/matrilineal-descent/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“matrilineal descent.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/matrilineal-descent/>.