duumvirate
|duː-əm-vɪr-ət|
🇺🇸
/ˈduːəmvɪrət/
🇬🇧
/ˈdjuːəmvɪrət/
two-person rule
Etymology
'duumvirate' originates from 'Latin', specifically the word 'duumviratus', where 'duo' meant 'two' and 'vir' meant 'man'.
'duumvirate' changed from the Latin word 'duumviratus' (and related plural 'duumviri') through post-classical/Medieval Latin usage and was borrowed into modern English as 'duumvirate'.
Initially, it meant 'the office or rank of two men holding public authority', but over time it has come to mean more generally 'a ruling pair or two-person leadership'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a ruling body or political office held jointly by two people; a pair of officials sharing authority.
After the revolution the city was run by a duumvirate until elections could be held.
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Noun 2
the office, term, or institution of such a two-person governing arrangement.
The duumvirate lasted only a year before reforms replaced the office with a council.
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Last updated: 2025/12/04 09:08