ménage à quatre

noun

A household or relationship whereby four people live together as lovers.

OriginFrench ménage à trois →
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Meanings

nounménage à quatre (plural ménages à quatre)

plural ménages à quatre

  1. A household or relationship whereby four people live together as lovers.
  2. A sexual act involving four people; a foursome.

Synonyms & antonyms

Broader
ménage
Also see
fourgie

Origin

  1. Frenchménage à trois
  2. Englishménage à quatre

From ménage à trois (“household whereby three people live as lovers; sexual act involving three people”), from French ménage à trois. The number trois (“three”) is replaced by quatre (“four”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ménage à quatre. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%A9nage%20%C3%A0%20quatre

MLA

“ménage à quatre.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%A9nage%20%C3%A0%20quatre. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ménage à quatre,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/m%C3%A9nage%20%C3%A0%20quatre.

Source: ménage à quatre on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.