ménage à trois

noun

mé·​nage à trois mā-ˈnäzh-ä-ˈt(r)wä 

mə-

1

: an arrangement in which three people (such as a married couple and a lover of one member of the couple) have a sexual or romantic relationship especially while they are living together

2

: a sexual encounter involving three people : threesome

Examples of ménage à trois in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Hunting Wives is led by Margo Banks (Malin Akerman), the wife of a Republican politician who, when not pounding bottles of wine and partaking in the occasional menage a trois, is refining her skills on the gun range. — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 July 2025

Brian and Matt are involved in a menage a trois with a personal trainer named (wait for it) Steve. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Mar. 2018

Fergus makes like an expert wingman and hooks Ian and Brighid up but first Fergus discloses that his first time was a menage a trois. — Roxane Gay, Glamour, 29 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, household for three

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1