A love triangle refers to a romantic relationship involving three people. It is usually used to imply that the relationship is unsatisfactory in some way to one or more of the people involved. There are a number of possible combinations of sexes and sexual interactions of the sexual partners. Sometimes, the sexual attraction is mainly between one of the three and the other two and less between these other two; this may for example apply in the case of three heterosexuals.

Within the context of monogamy, love triangles are inherently unstable because they involve three people. Unrequited love is a common theme of love triangles, and a common emotion arising from unrequited love is jealousy.

A love triangle should not be confused with a ménage à trois, which refers to a sexual act involving three people.

Love triangles are an extremely popular theme in fiction, especially romantic fiction, including romance novels, soap operas, and romantic comedies.

See also

• love
• triangle