triarchy: Meaning and Definition of

tri•ar•chy

Pronunciation: (trī'är-kē), [key]
— pl. -chies.
  1. government by three persons.
  2. a set of three joint rulers; a triumvirate.
  3. a country divided into three governments.
  4. a group of three countries or districts, each under its own ruler.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.