What is a vee relationship?

A vee relationship is a common polyamory configuration named for the shape of the letter V. One person, called the hinge or pivot, is at the point of the V, in a relationship with two other people — the two arms — who are aware of and consent to one another but are not themselves romantically or sexually involved.

It contrasts with a triad (or throuple), where all three people are involved with each other. In a vee, the two end partners are 'metamours' — partners of the same person — who may be friendly or simply respectful acquaintances, but whose relationship is not romantic. Many vees arise naturally when someone has two distinct relationships.

Vees run on the same foundations as all polyamory: honesty, consent, clear communication, and boundaries everyone helps set. The hinge has a particular responsibility to communicate well and divide time and attention fairly, since both relationships flow through them.

For how vees, triads, and other shapes fit within polyamory and the wider non-monogamy landscape, see the JoinTheSwing glossary and the polyamory answer.