paterfamilias

/ˌpeɪtərfəˈmɪliəs/

Other forms: paterfamiliases

A paterfamilias is the male head of a family, clan, or tribe. If you consider your grandfather to be the head of your family, you can call him a paterfamilias.

The word paterfamilias comes from ancient Roman law. The word itself is Latin, combining pater, "father," and familias, "family." In other words, he was the father of the family — and in Rome, that meant that he had legal rights to everything the family owned and authority over each of its members. These days, the paterfamilias is more likely to simply preside over family reunions and hold grandchildren on his knee.

Definitions of paterfamilias

1. noun

   the male head of family or tribe
   synonyms: patriarch

   type of:

   head of household

   the head of a household or family or tribe

   adult male, man

   an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)