Definition of paterfamilias
patresfamilias
play \ˌpā-ˌtrēz-, ˌpä-ˌtrās-\1 : the male head of a household
2 : the father of a family
3 : a man who originates or is a leading figure in something (such as a movement, discipline, or enterprise)
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Recent Examples of paterfamilias from the Web
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Turns out more than one of the guests had a previous run-in with the troubled family — and a reason to dislike the paterfamilias.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paterfamilias.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
PATERFAMILIAS Defined for English Language Learners
paterfamilias
playDefinition of paterfamilias for English Language Learners
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: a man who is the head of a family
Learn More about paterfamilias
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See words that rhyme with paterfamilias Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paterfamilias
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