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rule of three

American

noun

Mathematics.

the method of finding the fourth term in a proportion when three terms are given.

rule of three British

noun

a mathematical rule asserting that the value of one unknown quantity in a proportion is found by multiplying the denominator of each ratio by the numerator of the other

"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

Etymology

Origin of rule of three

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

rule of three

So, my wife and I vowed to implement the rule of three.

From Salon ● Dec. 22, 2023

There was a time when America’s greatest writers, wits and humorists were known by their last names: Parker, Benchley, Thurber and, breaking the comedy rule of three, Perelman.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 24, 2021

The rule of three as the most stable structure can be subverted to afford you double the scapegoats.

From Slate ● Apr. 2, 2019

As Ramakrishnan says: “The rule of three is inappropriate today.”

From The Guardian ● Sep. 30, 2018

Such a rule of three would certainly puzzle me, and, I fancy, most other observers.

From Social Rights and Duties, Volume I (of 2) Addresses to Ethical Societies by Sir Leslie Stephen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023