First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
paterfamilias
noun pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as \ˌpa-tər-fə-ˈmi-lē-əs, ˌpä-, ˌpā-\
: a man who is the head of a family
plural pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as \ˌpā-ˌtrēz-, ˌpä-ˌtrās-\
Full Definition of PATERFAMILIAS
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 (as a movement, discipline, or enterprise)
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Origin of PATERFAMILIAS
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