ménage à trois

or menage a trois

[ mey-nahzh ah trwah; French mey-nazh a trwah ]

noun

, plural mé·na·ges à trois [mey-, nah, -zhiz ah , trwah].

1. a domestic arrangement in which three people, usually a heterosexual couple and one other person, are engaged in a sexual or romantic relationship and occupy the same household.
2. threesome ( def 4 ).

ménage à trois

/ menaʒ a trwɑ /

noun

1. a sexual arrangement involving a married couple and the lover of one of them

Word History and Origins

Origin of ménage à trois¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from French: “household of three”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ménage à trois¹

literally: household of three

Example Sentences

One of the season’s most effective scenes takes place between the two women, who meet for lunch before the wedding at a restaurant aptly named Ménage à Trois.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• love affair
• threesome