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ternary

[ tur-nuh-ree ]
/ ˈtɜr nə ri /
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See synonyms for: ternary / ternaries on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun, plural ter·na·ries.
a group of three.
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Origin of ternary

1400–50; late Middle English <Latin ternārius made up of three. See tern2, -ary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ternary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ternary

ternary
/ (ˈtɜːnərɪ) /

adjective
consisting of three or groups of three
maths
  1. (of a number system) to the base three
  2. involving or containing three variables
(of an alloy, mixture, or chemical compound) having three different components or composed of three different elements
noun plural -ries
a group of three

Word Origin for ternary

C14: from Latin ternārius, from ternī three each
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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