trichotomy
[ trih-kot-uh-mee ]
noun,plural tri·chot·o·mies.
division into three parts, classes, categories, etc.
an instance of such a division, as in thought, structure, or object.
the three-part division of human beings into body, spirit, and soul.
Origin of trichotomy
1Other words from trichotomy
- trich·o·tom·ic [trik-uh-tom-ik], /ˌtrɪk əˈtɒm ɪk/, tri·chot·o·mous, adjective
- tri·chot·o·mous·ly, adverb
Words Nearby trichotomy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for trichotomy
trichotomy
/ (traɪˈkɒtəmɪ) /
nounplural -mies
division into three categories
theol the division of man into body, spirit, and soul
Origin of trichotomy
1C17: probably from New Latin trichotomia, from Greek trikhotomein to divide into three, from trikha triple + temnein to cut
Derived forms of trichotomy
- trichotomic (ˌtrɪkəˈtɒmɪk) or trichotomous, adjective
- trichotomously, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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