A system of government or society ruled by men, with power concentrated in male hands; male dominance.
From Greek 'andros' (male) combined with 'kratos' (power). The term parallels 'democracy' (rule by people) and 'autocracy' (rule by one person), explicitly naming male-centered power systems.
Most historical governments were androcracies where women couldn't vote, own property, or hold office—the term makes explicit what was often treated as natural or invisible.
From Greek aner (man) + kratos (power). Describes systems of male rule or power. Like 'andrarchy,' the existence of this term alongside the absence of equivalent female-authority terms reflects how male dominance was linguistically naturalized as the default system of rule.
Use descriptively when analyzing male-dominated power structures. Acknowledge that parallel female-authority systems are rarely named, signaling historical linguistic bias.
["patriarchy","male rule","male-dominated power structure"]
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