Dictionary.com

materfamilias

[ mey-ter-fuh-mil-ee-uhs ]
/ ˌmeɪ tər fəˈmɪl i əs /
Save This Word!

noun
the mother of a family.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of materfamilias

First recorded in 1750–60; from Latin; cf. paterfamilias
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use materfamilias in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for materfamilias

materfamilias
/ (ˌmeɪtəfəˈmɪlɪˌæs) /

noun plural matresfamilias (ˌmeɪtreɪzfəˈmɪlɪˌæs)
the mother of a family or the female head of a family

Word Origin for materfamilias

C18: from Latin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK