A throuple is a romantic relationship between three people, each of whom is a partner to both of the others. The word blends three and couple. It is one form of polyamory, and it is not the same as a couple who sometimes invite a third person.
What it means
In a throuple all three people are partners with each other and all three have agreed to it. That separates it from a “V” shape, where one person is partnered with two others who are not partners with each other. Throuples can include any mix of genders, and they can be romantic, sexual or both.
Throuple, polyamory, a threesome and swinging
- Throuple. Three partners, all with each other, in one relationship.
- Polyamory. The wider word for having more than one loving relationship with everyone’s knowledge. What polyamory means.
- Threesome. A single sexual encounter with three people, with no relationship implied.
- Swinging. Couples who have sex with others, often together. What a swinger is.
The practical side
Most of what makes a throuple work is the same as any relationship, with more of it: honest talk about needs and jealousy, fair time for each person, and clear agreements about other partners and about sexual health. It helps to agree the rules together, and to revisit them.
The law
UK law recognises marriage and civil partnership between two people only, so a throuple has no legal status. Living in one is not an offence, but the partners cannot all marry, and wills, tenancies, parental responsibility and next of kin arrangements need planning for each person separately. A solicitor can advise on the details.
Couples, threes and escorts
Couples sometimes book an escort for a threesome, and some escorts work as a duo or accept couples. That is a paid booking, agreed in advance, and it is not a throuple. Duo escorts in London explains duo bookings, MMF covers the male version of a threesome, and how booking works covers the first message.