three-dimensional

American  

[three-di-men-shuh-nl, -dahy-] / ˈθri dɪˈmɛn ʃə nl, -daɪ- /

adjective

1. having, or seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height.

2. (especially in a literary work) fully developed.

   The story came alive chiefly because the characters were vividly three-dimensional.

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three-dimensional British  

adjective

1. of, having, or relating to three dimensions

   three-dimensional space

2. (of a film, transparency, etc) simulating the effect of depth by presenting slightly different views of a scene to each eye

3. having volume

4. lifelike or real

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Other Word Forms

• threedimensionality
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of three-dimensional

First recorded in 1890–95

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Explanation

Things that have depth and can be rotated in space are three-dimensional. Everything around you that you can touch or move around—your sneaker, your dog, the rug on the floor—is three-dimensional. Dimensionality can be a tricky quality to understand, but it helps to think of a line connecting two points as one-dimensional and a flat plane or shape, like a triangle drawn on paper, as two-dimensional. When you add depth to a shape, you get a three-dimensional object: a triangle becomes a pyramid, for example. When a story or other work of art is so well-made and detailed that it's believable, you can also describe it as three-dimensional.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

three-dimensional

Using experimental information gathered from three-dimensional images of developing embryonic skin, the researchers adapted their simulations to reflect the spiny mouse's particular biochemical characteristics and the way its skin grows.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

But "GTA III" set the standard in 2001 for what games could be like, offering a combination of a three-dimensional open world, advanced graphics and gameplay that won widespread critical acclaim and legions of fans.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

As Ms. Hill writes, they were “shipped around Europe and, later, abroad, conveying the latest fashion in three-dimensional detail.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

The team used advanced three-dimensional analysis techniques known as stereology to examine the nerve cells.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

I personally find it hard enough to visualize three-dimensional space!

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

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