LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun

pater patriae

pater patriae m
Classical[ˈpa.tɛr ˈpa.tri.ae̯]Ecclesiastical[ˈpaː.ter ˈpaː.tri.e]

Meaning

  1. masculinefather of the nation (a man considered a driving force in the development of a nation)
    salvē pater patriae, bibās prīnceps optimē!Hail, father of the country, drink to the best prince!
    parce, pater patriae, nec nōminis immemor hujusSpare me, father of the fatherland, and — not unmindful of this title — do not take away from me the hope of one day appeasing you!8 CE – 12 CE, Ovidius, Tristia 2.1.181–182 (vocative, one other vocative and one nominative occurrence in Livy)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepater patriaepatrēs patriae
genitivepatris patriaepatrum patriae
dativepatrī patriaepatribus patriae
accusativepatrem patriaepatrēs patriae
ablativepatre patriaepatribus patriae
vocativepater patriaepatrēs patriae

Quick answers

What does pater patriae mean in Latin?
pater patriae, a noun, means “father of the nation (a man considered a driving force in the development of a nation)”.
How do you pronounce pater patriae?
In classical Latin, [ˈpa.tɛr ˈpa.tri.ae̯]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpaː.ter ˈpaː.tri.e].