three

American  

[three] / θri /

noun

• threes
  plural

1. a cardinal number, 2 plus 1.

2. a symbol for this number, as 3 or III.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a playing card, die face, or half of a domino face with three pips.

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adjective

1. amounting to three in number.

idioms

1. three sheets in the wind. sheet.

three British  

/ θriː /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of two and one and is a prime number See also number

2. a numeral, 3, III, (iii), representing this number

3. the amount or quantity that is one greater than two

4. something representing, represented by, or consisting of three units such as a playing card with three symbols on it

5. Also called: three o'clock.  three hours after noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to three

      three ships

   2. ( as pronoun )

      three were killed

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• threes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of three

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thrēo, thrīo, feminine and neuter of thrī(e); cognate with Dutch drie, German drei, Old Norse thrīr, Gothic threis, Greek treîs, Latin trēs “three,” ter “thrice,” Irish trí, Old Church Slavonic tri, Sanskrit trī, tráyas

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

three threes

He had two passes intercepted, was sacked three times and did not look comfortable throwing on the run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The seven-time champion, who finished seventh behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, is three points ahead of Russell in the championship.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

In contrast, the S&P 500 has declined in 28% of the comparable 12-month periods of the other three years of the presidential cycle.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

It still needs three permits from the state environmental agency that could take months, according to the township’s engineer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Sadie, ever loyal to my mom, had slipped it into my bag, neatly wrapped in foil, saying it was for the three of us.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Pre-season coaching has reinforced the players' understanding around supporting team-mates to create clusters of threes.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Good things do not always come in threes, and Lord's did not follow Wembley and Twickenham in hosting landmark moments of recent English sporting history.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026

He doubled that number of made threes in the first half of Game 2.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

The faint tail of knighthood straggled in by twos and threes, then one at a time, then with intervals of days between the solitary riders.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White