triumvirate
noun
[ trʌɪˈʌmvɪrət ]
• (in ancient Rome) a group of three men holding power, in particular ( the First Triumvirate ) the unofficial coalition of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus in 60 BC and ( the Second Triumvirate ) a coalition formed by Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian in 43 BC.
• the office of triumvir in ancient Rome.
Origin:
late 16th century: from Latin triumviratus, from triumvir (see triumvir).
