How to say "patriarch" in Japanese

• 族長ぞくちょうCommon
  no-adjectiveCovers 'patriarch' in the sense of the male head of a tribe or clan, including biblical patriarchs. Use this when referring to leaders of extended family groups rather than individual households.
• 家長かちょうCommon
  nounCovers 'patriarch' as the head of a family or household. Note that it also means 'matriarch', so it refers to whoever heads the family, not only a male figure.

For the biblical or clan sense of 'patriarch' use 族長; for the head of a household use 家長, which covers both male and female heads.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 族長ぞくちょうpatriarch
• 家長かちょうhead of a family
• パトリアルクpatriarch
• 家父長かふちょうpatriarch
• 長老ちょうろうdean