triumvirates

Noun

triumvirate (plural triumvirates)

1. (Ancient-Rome, historical) A council of three magistrates ruling jointly; specifically, the First Triumvirate (60 or 59 – 53 B.C.E.) or the Second Triumvirate (43 – 33 or 27 B.C.E.); the office of a triumvir (“one of such magistrates”), or of the three triumviri.
   • […] I muſt not forget to ſet dovvne a pretie jeſt, vvhich hath been reported by many as touching Lepidus: It happened during the time of his Triumvirat, […]1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXV.] The Manner How to Make Birds Silent, and to Leave Their Chattering and Singing. Who First Devised with Fire and Pencill to...
2. (broadly) Any group of three joint rulers.
   • Then vvas contriued a petition, as from the generalitie, vnto the triumuirat Gouernors; vvherein they ſupplicated, that by no meanes they ſhould reſigne the gouernment to any ſhould come from England, vpon vvhat tearmes ſoeuer, vntill ſix moneths after the returne of their ſhip ſent to the...1624, Iohn [i.e., John] Smith, “Captaine Iohn Mansfield His Moneth”, in The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland]...
3. (broadly, figuratively) Any group of three people regarded as significant in some way; also (rare), a group of three things; a trio.
   • I have therefore alvvayes endevoured to compoſe thoſe fevvds and angry diſſentions betvveene affection, faith, and reaſon. For there is in our ſoule a kind of Triumvirate, or triple government of three competitors, vvhich diſtract the peace of this our Common-vvealth, not leſſe than did that other...1642, [Thomas Browne], “[The First Part]”, in Religio Medici, London: […] Andrew Crooke, →OCLC, page 36

   Synonyms:

   leash, tern, ternary, ternion, threeness, threesome, triad, trinary, trine, trinity