paterfamilias

[ pey-ter-fuh-mil-ee-uh s, pah-, pat-er- ]

/ ˌpeɪ tər fəˈmɪl i əs, ˌpɑ-, ˌpæt ər- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR paterfamilias ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as·es for 1, pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as [pey-treez-fuh-mil-ee-uh s, pah-, pa-] /ˌpeɪ triz fəˈmɪl i əs, ˌpɑ-, ˌpæ-/ for 2.

the male head of a household or family, usually the father.

Roman Law.

the head of the Roman family; a juridical entity who holds the patria potestas.
a person who is not under the patria potestas of another.

Nearby words

patentee, patently, patentor, pater, pater patriae, paterfamilias, paternal, paternalism, paternity, paternity leave, paternity suit

Origin of paterfamilias

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin: literally, father (i.e., master) of the household, with archaic genitive form familiās of familia; see family

Related forms

pa·ter·fa·mil·iar, adjectivepa·ter·fa·mil·iar·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for paterfamilias

Motilal, the Nehru paterfamilias, had his suits made in Savile Row.
Hold Onto Your Penis|David Frum, Justin Green|November 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Paterfamilias at the door, smoking a cigar—a lad of ten years of age appears.
Lands of the Slave and the Free|Henry A. Murray
He knew, moreover, that when both mother and daughter have set their hearts on a single man, paterfamilias is powerless.
Tonio, Son of the Sierras|Charles King
In this way a wife could divorce a lunatic husband, or the paterfamilias of a lunatic wife could divorce her from her husband.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5|Various

And the City of Rome stood to its citizens in the place of the paterfamilias.
Ancient Rome|Mary Agnes Hamilton
Perhaps he was practising that rle of Paterfamilias which he hoped to be soon called upon to play.
Mirk Abbey, Volume 3(of 3)|James Payn

British Dictionary definitions for paterfamilias

paterfamilias

/ (ˌpeɪtəfəˈmɪlɪˌæs) /

noun plural patresfamilias (ˌpɑːtreɪzfəˈmɪlɪˌæs)

the male head of a household

Roman law

the head of a household having authority over its members
the parental or other authority of another person

Word Origin for paterfamilias

Latin: father of the family

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