in church-history, a Christian sect, which appeared about the latter end of the IIId century; so called from their ascribing the passion to the Father: for they affected the unity of God in such a manner as to destroy all distinction of persons, and to make the Father and Son precisely the same; in which they were followed by the Sabellians, and others. The author and head of the patripassians was Praxeas, a philosopher of Phrygia in Asia.