Wiktionary
n. (alternative spelling of paterfamilias English)
Wikipedia
The pater familias, also written as paterfamilias (plural patres familias), was the head of a Roman family. The pater familias was the oldest living male in a household. He had complete control of all family members. The term is Latin for "father of the family" or the "owner of the family estate". The form is archaic in Latin, preserving the old genitive ending in (see Latin declension), whereas in classical Latin the normal genitive ending was . The pater familias was always a Roman citizen.
Roman law and tradition ( mos maiorum) established the power of the pater familias within the community of his own extended familia. He held legal privilege over the property of the familia, and varying levels of authority over his dependents: these included his wife and children, certain other relatives through blood or adoption, clients, freedmen and slaves. The same mos maiorum moderated his authority and determined his responsibilities to his own familia and to the broader community. He had a duty to father and raise healthy children as future citizens of Rome, to maintain the moral propriety and well-being of his household, to honour his clan and ancestral gods and to dutifully participate—and if possible, serve—in Rome's political, religious and social life. In effect, the pater familias was expected to be a good citizen. In theory at least, he held powers of life and death over every member of his extended familia through ancient right but in practice, the extreme form of this right was seldom exercised. It was eventually limited by law.
"Pater Familias", or "Pater Families" is the third season finale of Ghost Whisperer, it originally aired on May 16, 2008 on CBS in United States. All main cast appears in the final episode of season three. This episode marked John Gray's departure from the series as executive producer, although he continued to write and direct episodes for the rest of the run.
Pater Familias is a 2003 Italian crime-drama film written and directed by Francesco Patierno. It is based on the novel with the same name written by Massimo Cacciapuoti.
It was screened in the Panorama section at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival.
Usage examples of "pater familias".
Ah well, sure, that's the way (up) and it so happened there was poor Matt Gregory (up), their pater familias, and (up) the others and now really and (up) truly they were four dear old heladies and really they looked awfully pretty and so nice and bespectable and after that they had their fathomglasses to find out all the fathoms and their half a tall hat, just now like the old Merquus of Pawerschoof, the old determined despot, (quiescents in brage!
More than one old Kikuyu pater familias in this period became rich in the same way.
Or maybe an attempt at describing his role as pater familias of science fiction?