quaternity

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quaternity

/kwəˈtɜːnɪti/ UK
/kwɑˈtɜɹnəti/ US
[-ɾi] US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nɪti

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Middle French quaternité (“set of four things; (Christianity) dogma that there are four persons in the Godhead”), from Old French quaternité (modern French quaternité); and from their etymon Late Latin quaternitās (“set of four things; (Christianity) group of four persons in the Godhead”) (modelled after trīnitās (“triad; (Christianity) the Trinity”)) + English -ity (suffix forming abstract nouns). Quaternitās is derived from Latin quaternī + -tās (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting states of being); and quaternī is an inflection of quaternus (“four at a time; fourfold”), from quater (“four times”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”)) + -nus (suffix forming distributive numerals). By surface analysis, quatern + -ity.

noun quaternities

countable, uncountable A group or set of four; a foursome, a quartet. [T]heir VVhole Scale, of all that is above the Body, vvas indeed not a Trinity, but a Quaternity, or Four Ranks and Degrees of Beings, one belovv another; the Firſt of Henades or Unities, the Second of Noes, Minds or Intellects, the Third of Souls, and the Laſt of Natures: theſe being as it vvere ſo
Similar: foursome, quadruplet, quadruplicity, quadrad, quaternion, quaternity, quartet, tetrad, tetraplet
countable, historical, uncountable A group of four persons forming the Godhead, in contrast to the Trinity comprising three persons. [H]e is bounden to beleue in yͤ trinitie. And yͤ felowe beleueth in a quaternitie. That is ꝙ [quod, i.e., quoth] I yͤ hole trinite ⁊ one moe.
Similar: foursome, quadruplet, quadruplicity, quadrad, quaternion, quaternity, quartet, tetrad, tetraplet
countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable Synonym of quarter (“a fourth part”). The firſt vvith divers crooks and turnings vvries, / Cutting the tovvn in foure quaternities; / But both joyn to reſiſt invading enemies.
Similar: quarter
uncountable Synonym of fourness (“the property or state of being four in number”). Some that in mystical quaternity / All Deity existed; and the first / Y'cleped Ineffable, and the last, Truth; / Father and Son, gods intermediate.
Similar: fourness, quaternity

Translations

Every language

noun group or set of four (cognates) — see also foursome, quartet

Italiano	quaternità

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Cite this

MLA

"quaternity." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/quaternity. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

quaternity. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/quaternity

Chicago

"quaternity." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/quaternity.

BibTeX

@misc{quaternity_2026,
  title = {quaternity},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/quaternity},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}