Definition of "patrilineal" []

• Relating to, based on, or tracing ancestral descent through the paternal line. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "His body symbolizes the future good morality, honor, and reputation of his patrilineage and the performance of certain patrilineal rituals."
• "Greene's important critique of the literature on African ethnicities singles out the dominant work on ethnicity in patrilineal southern Africa, and suggests a corrective approach that is much needed in this highly politicized subfield."
• "Most tribes are patrilineal, meaning that children are considered the father's descendants and men are viewed as the owners of all of the property."