paterfamilias
Male family ruler
Paterfamilias is the male head of a household, especially in ancient Roman law where the eldest male held absolute authority over family members and property.
The term now appears in formal or literary contexts to describe any dominant father figure: He ruled the dinner table like a Victorian paterfamilias.
Plural: patresfamilias.
Protective caretaker of another
- providerOne who furnishes things
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
- defenderOne who guards another
- custodianGuardian of a place
keeper · overseer · benefactor · shield · safeguard · shelter · sustainer · maintainer
Household, in Spanish
- domusRoman private residence
- householdDomestic unit of residents
- dependentsPeople financially supported
- relativesThose connected by blood
kin · kinship · clan · tribe · children · offspring · progeny · servants
Family line of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
progenitor · forebears · dynasty · pedigree · primogeniture · inheritance · birthright · legacy
Archaic term for dad
- Roman lawAncient Italy's legal system
- togaAncient draped garment
- SenateLegislative body, often bicameral's elder
- RepublicState without monarchy
villa · ancient Rome · Latin · civic duty · citizenship · gravitas · auctoritas · Twelve Tables
Authority to rule
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- ruleGoverning principle or standard
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
power · control · discipline · obedience · master · supremacy · dominance · mandate
guardian
Protective caretaker of another
- providerOne who furnishes things
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
- defenderOne who guards another
custodian · keeper · overseer · benefactor · shield · safeguard · shelter · sustainer · maintainer · caretaker
familia
Household, in Spanish
- domusRoman private residence
- householdDomestic unit of residents
- dependentsPeople financially supported
relatives · kin · kinship · clan · tribe · children · offspring · progeny · servants · slaves
ancestry
Family line of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- descentDownward slope or lineage
heritage · progenitor · forebears · dynasty · pedigree · primogeniture · inheritance · birthright · legacy · scion
pater
Archaic term for dad
- Roman lawAncient Italy's legal system
- togaAncient draped garment
- SenateLegislative body, often bicameral's elder
Republic · villa · ancient Rome · Latin · civic duty · citizenship · gravitas · auctoritas · Twelve Tables · legal status
dominion
Authority to rule
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- ruleGoverning principle or standard
sovereignty · power · control · discipline · obedience · master · supremacy · dominance · mandate · jurisdiction
- fatherhooddad, daddy, papa, father, pa
- Latin Familymater, pater, frater, familia, materfamilias
- paternal lineagepatrilineage, male line, forefather, progenitor, sire
- Roman FatherhoodAeneas, Cato, Brutus, ancestral rites, household gods
- Roman householdfamilia, domus, materfamilias, pater, mater
- Roman societypatricians, plebeian, plebeians, citizen, citizens
patron, patronize, patronage, pater familias, paternal, patrician, patriarch, paternity, patriarchy