paterfamilias

noun

pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as ˌpa-tər-fə-ˈmi-lē-əs

ˌpä-,

ˌpā-

plural patresfamilias ˌpā-ˌtrēz-

ˌpä-ˌtrās-

Synonyms of paterfamilias next

: the male head of a household

: the father of a family

: a man who originates or is a leading figure in something (such as a movement, discipline, or enterprise)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web There’s also a concern about acting as if your son were a source of shame, a secret to be hidden from the paterfamilias. —

Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2022 In a sense this is a classic family drama: the struggle over the paterfamilias’s legacy, complete with allegations of late-in-life changes to the will. —

Benjamin Soskis, Town & Country, 27 Oct. 2022 Schumer’s actions as paterfamilias of Senate Democrats are often informed by his New York sensibilities. —

Grace Segers, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2022 Andy Garcia plays the paterfamilias in this 2022 remake of the 1991 remake of the 1950 comedy. —

Tribune News Service, cleveland, 12 June 2022 Andy Garcia plays the paterfamilias in this 2022 remake of the 1991 remake of the 1950 comedy. —

Tribune News Service, cleveland, 12 June 2022 See More

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.