throuple

American

[thruhp-uhl] / ˈθrʌp əl /

Or thruple

noun

three people who are engaged or married to one another, or involved as romantic partners.

The throuple have been dating for the past two years and now live together in an intimate one-bedroom apartment.

Etymology

Origin of throuple

First recorded in 1990–95; thr(ee) ( def. ) + (c)ouple ( def. )

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.

When it came time to give birth, the throuple had to get special dispensation to visit their daughter in the NICU.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

The NBA is in a lavish new throuple with ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock and Amazon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Lee is at a loss to explain much about this amicable odd throuple of sorts, offering what she can using Cusack’s appearances in Stoppard’s appointment diaries.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2021

Then Shay revealed she was "fired" from her job at the club because she was talking openly about the "throuple."

From Fox News • Aug. 20, 2020

No one seems sure what a throuple is.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2015

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