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triumvirate

triumvirate

16 9.3
A group of three people who share power
  • noun
  • /traɪˈʌm.vɪˌræt/
translation icon : triunvirato
  • Crassus, who, along with Pompey and Caesar, formed the First Triumvirate, was one of the richest men in Rome and had invested heavily in silver mines as well as in land.
  • one of the triumvirate

Can't, don't and won't are one hell of a triumvirate.

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Examples

  • Unlike the First Triumvirate between Caesar, Pompe, and Crassus, this was official, backed up with the full force of law.

  • Together, the three buildings form the triumvirate of Old School Row, the college's original campus.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Unofficially, the Second Triumvirate had just been formed.

  • Today's guests are Sal, Adam, and Justin, the triumvirate behind the behemoth health and fitness podcast Mind Pump.

  • The historic triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus changed the course of Roman politics.

  • In the board meeting, the triumvirate of directors made the key decisions together.

  • The recently formed triumvirate of leaders aims to address climate change effectively.

Synonyms

trio
vstriumvirate
65 2.7

A group of three people who perform together, like musicians

is reserved for three who hold joint authority rather than being performers
triad
vstriumvirate
32 6.1

A group of three people or things seen together

is used for three people who share power or office jointly

How Powerful

oligarchy
17 8.9
triumvirate
16 9.3
council
572 2.9
committee
3.2

Surface Forms

triumvirate singular
triumvirates plural

Morphology

triumvirate = triumvir (semi-transparent) = triumvir + ate

Formed from the Latin base 'triumvir' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ate'; the structure is historically clear but the base 'triumvir' is rare in modern English, so the relation is not fully obvious to an average learner.

Etymology

The word triumvirate comes from the Latin parts tri- 'three' and vir 'man', and it first named three men who shared power in ancient Rome. Today a triumvirate means any group of three people who lead or share control, so think of it like a leadership trio.