1. Plural of pater; fathers or male parents.
Usage: formal or literary
2. Plural of pater; heads of households or authority figures in a family or institution.
Usage: archaic or formal

Examples

• The paters of the community gathered to discuss the school's future.
• In ancient Rome, the paters familias held significant legal authority.
• The paters were responsible for guiding their sons through adulthood.
• Many paters attended the parent-teacher conference.
• The paters of the church met to plan the upcoming celebration.