Trireme (Greek: τριήρης sing., τριήρεις pl., Latin: triremis sing., triremes pl.) refers to a class of warships use by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans. In English, no differentiation is made between the Greek triērēs and the Latin triremis. This is sometimes a source of confusion, as in other languages these terms refer to different styles of ships.