duumvirate

[ doo-uhm-ver-it, dyoo- ]

/ duˈʌm vər ɪt, dyu- /

noun

a coalition of two persons holding the same office, as in ancient Rome.

the office or government of two such persons.

Nearby words

duty to retreat, duty-bound, duty-free, duty-free shop, duumvir, duumvirate, duvalier, duvalier, françois, duvalier, jean-claude, duve, duveneck

Origin of duumvirate

From the Latin word duumvirātus, dating back to 1650–60. See duumvir, -ate³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for duumvirate

Of what did the duumvirate deliberate during their itinerary?
Ulysses|James Joyce
The duumvirate did not last, and the count and Nino soon quarrelled.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10|Various
Rarely does history exhibit such a duumvirate as that of Epaminondas and Pelopidas.
A Manual of Ancient History|A. H. L. (Arnold Hermann Ludwig) Heeren
But the Duumvirate seemed utterly incapable of devising a coherent policy for central or eastern Europe.
The Inside Story Of The Peace Conference|Emile Joseph Dillon

British Dictionary definitions for duumvirate

duumvirate

/ (djuːˈʌmvɪrɪt) /

noun

the office of or government by duumvirs

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