quaternity

American

[kwuh-tur-ni-tee] / kwəˈtɜr nɪ ti /

noun

PLURAL

quaternities

a group or set of four.

quaternity British

/ kwəˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

a group of four, esp a concept of God as consisting of four persons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of quaternity

1520–30; < Late Latin quaternitās, equivalent to Latin quatern ( ī ) four each, four at a time + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“So we learn in the neatly chiseled opening sentences of Mary Gordon’s new novel. Add in death and we would have a ferocious quaternity to frame the action.”

From New York Times

With our love to the entire quaternity of you, Yours ever,

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023