matrilocal
matrilocal
Adjective
This term is primarily used within the fields of anthropology, sociology, and kinship studies to describe specific residential patterns. It carries a neutral, descriptive tone and is used to categorize the spatial organization of a family unit following marriage.
It stands in direct contrast to patrilocal systems, where the couple lives with the husband's family, and neolocal systems, where the couple establishes an independent household. Because it describes a systemic social structure rather than a personal preference, it is almost exclusively found in academic or ethnographic contexts.