PATRIARCH'AL PA'TRIARCHATE PATRIARCH'IC, adjective Belonging to patriarchs; possessed by patriarchs; as patriarchal power or jurisdiction; a patriarchal see. 1. Subject to a patriarch; as a patriarchal church. Patriarchal cross, in heraldry, is that where the shaft is twice crossed, the lower arms being longer than the upper ones.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI