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• triad
  triad

  noun

  a group of three, especially of three closely related persons or things.
• Triad
  Triad

  noun

  any of several Chinese secret societies, esp one involved in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking

triad

American  

[trahy-ad, -uhd] / ˈtraɪ æd, -əd /

noun

• triads
  plural

1. a group of three, especially of three closely related persons or things.

2. Chemistry.

   1. an element, atom, or group having a valence of three.

   2. a group of three closely related compounds or elements, as isomers or halides.

3. Music. a chord of three tones, especially one consisting of a given tone with its major or minor third and its perfect, augmented, or diminished fifth.

4. Military. Triad, the three categories of delivery systems for strategic nuclear weapons, namely bombers, land-based missiles, and missile-firing submarines.

   The report says this missile is required in order to sustain an effective air leg of the Triad.

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triad ¹ British  

/ ˈtraɪæd /

noun

1. a group of three; trio

2. chem an atom, element, group, or ion that has a valency of three

3. music a three-note chord consisting of a note and the third and fifth above it

4. an aphoristic literary form used in medieval Welsh and Irish literature

5. the US strategic nuclear force, consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers

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Triad ² British  

/ ˈtraɪæd /

noun

1. any of several Chinese secret societies, esp one involved in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• triadism
  noun
• triadic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• triads
  plural

Etymology

Origin of triad

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin triad- (stem of trias ), from Greek triás; see tri-, -ad ¹

Explanation

A triad is three things or people considered as one unit. A triad is a trio. A triangle is a shape with three sides. Similarly, a triad is a set of three things or people. To be a triad, three individual parts must also be considered a unit. A band with three members is a triad. A business with three divisions is a triad. A family with three members is a triad. A book with three volumes is a triad (usually called a trilogy). Triads are also called threesomes and trios.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

triad Triad triads

"The city rewards this dark triad behaviour... being uber confident, being able to control and manipulate others, not getting emotionally involved in decisions and being decisive," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

In one 2022 study, researchers explored whether increasing agreeableness would decrease levels of what is called the dark triad — or Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Jacob Stokes, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the launch shows China "is looking to consolidate its nuclear triad through more operational tests for what would be real-world use."

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Experts say multi-partner families are increasingly common in the Bay Area — Chloe noted they were recently outbid for a house by another triad with a child.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

I bump into a triad of girls talking in the doorway.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Among nuclear insiders, the sanctity of the Triad has been an article of faith for decades, as bedrock a belief as the Holy Trinity has been to the Catholic Church.

From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2024

This emphasis on motherhood adds nuance to the usual Triad tales where the action is often predicated on revenge or damaged pride.

From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2024

The police confirmed that the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau would be gathering evidence on whether the incidents breached the National Anthem Ordinance or other legislation.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 10, 2022

Eventually, Triad tried to transfer the site to another developer, but that plan fell through.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2022

Bel, third god of the first Babylonian Triad, 239; meaning of the name, 240; one of the "twelve great gods," 246; his battle with Tiamat, 288-290.

From Chaldea From the Earliest Times to the Rise of Assyria by Zénaïde A. (Zénaïde Alexeïevna) Ragozin

The number three speaks to the idea of balance and the mystical idea that certain energies can only be accessed through triads.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2024

Experimenters assigned some triads to go through a bonding session, where they were grouped according to color preferences, given uniforms, and led through an introductory chat session to build familiarity.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 20, 2024

Some are one mother, one daughter, while others are triads like the Escobedo women — Cecilia and daughters Cindy and Abigail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2022

It felt a little bit like middle school, when pairs or triads would declare themselves best friends—a label that, like the label of podmate, comes with expectations of loyalty, and priority.

From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2021

The three chords in question can be expressed as the numbers I, IV and V because they are the triads that belong to the first, fourth and fifth notes of the major or minor scale.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• triumvirate