triad

[ trahy-ad, -uhd ]

/ ˈtraɪ æd, -əd /

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noun

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

Chemistry.

an element, atom, or group having a valence of three.Compare monad (def. 2), dyad (def. 3).
a group of three closely related compounds or elements, as isomers or halides.

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.

Tri·ad, Military. 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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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of triad

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin triad- (stem of trias ), from Greek triás; see tri-, -ad¹

OTHER WORDS FROM triad

tri·ad·ic [trahy-ad-ik], /ˌtraɪˈæd ɪk/, adjectivetri·ad·ism, noun

Words nearby triad

triac, triacetate, triacetate fiber, triacid, triacontanol, triad, triadelphous, triage, trial, trial and error, trial balance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use triad in a sentence

A new tactical triad is emerging in the 21st century battlefield—special forces, unmanned systems, and cyber will be far more important going forward.
What the U.S. Military Needs to Learn from the Ukraine War|James Stavridis|April 11, 2022|Time
Flesch commended the triad of independent methods that the researchers used to tackle that challenge.
Culturally prized mountain goats may be vanishing from Indigenous land in Canada|Lesley Evans Ogden|March 8, 2022|Science News
In fact, some public health experts even suggest that they ought to be a fourth member of the “classic triad.”
A comprehensive guide to coronavirus symptoms|Rahul Rao|September 29, 2021|Popular-Science
There was a triad of characteristics identifying this as a substantial tornado on the ground.
Inside the Annapolis tornado: How Ida powered this destructive storm|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow|September 2, 2021|Washington Post

If you broaden the causal diagram, as with the cumulative triad risk score, you get a more meaningful assessment of injury risk.
Seeking a Grand Theory of Injury Prevention|mmirhashem|August 13, 2021|Outside Online
The decision to rebuild the nuclear triad includes a new long-range cruise missile.
America’s 60 Year-Old Nuclear Bomber Might Finally Get a New Engine|Bill Sweetman|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Notably, the future of the nuclear-deterrence triad seems more assured than it has for many years.
US & Russia Re-Arming for a New Cold War|Bill Sweetman|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her triad helps us understand what postmodernism is doing to us.
Zany, Cute, Interesting: What the Words We Use Say About Us|Benjamin Lytal|October 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Of that lethal triad, vanity seems to be the most fatal quality.
The Perils of Biography in the Bradlee-Himmelman Storm|Lee Siegel|May 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Clinton triad united for the final event of the summit, with Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea appearing together on stage.
The CGI's 6 Best Moments|The Daily Beast Video|September 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
De Robeck and Keyes came over from the Triad to unravel knotty points.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Malcolm hurried off; I left a little before 6.30 and went, via the Chatham, back to the Triad.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume 2|Ian Hamilton
There is extant a British Triad inculcating the three maxims for good health as “cheerfulness, temperance, and early rising”.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
He was the chief figure in a triad in which he figured as earth god, with Anu as god of the sky and Ea as god of the deep.
Myths of Babylonia and Assyria|Donald A. Mackenzie
Nitrogen in the triad condition in the amines is far less poisonous than in the pentad condition.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

British Dictionary definitions for triad (1 of 2)

triad

/ (ˈtraɪæd) /

noun

a group of three; trio

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

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

an aphoristic literary form used in medieval Welsh and Irish literature

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

Derived forms of triad

triadic, adjectivetriadism, noun

Word Origin for triad

C16: from Late Latin trias, from Greek; related to Greek treis three

British Dictionary definitions for triad (2 of 2)

Triad

/ (ˈtraɪæd) /

noun

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

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

triad

Origin of triad

OTHER WORDS FROM triad

Words nearby triad

Words related to triad

How to use triad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for triad (1 of 2)

Derived forms of triad

Word Origin for triad

British Dictionary definitions for triad (2 of 2)