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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
Synonyms

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.


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

"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 2 British  
/ ˈtraɪæd /

noun

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing triad

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.

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

In this case, Bruce's Groundlings improv instruction is literally his secret weapon to dealing with the various Triad members who only know how to approach situations through violence or intimidation.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2024

You are now standing on the site of ancient Rome’s most important religious monument, the Temple of the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Juno Regina and Minerva.

From New York Times • May 1, 2023

The subsidiary’s coverage area includes Charlotte, Durham and the Triad.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2023

Indeed, we have seen that the Hindu Triad, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, has very nearly its counterpart in Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, and the celestial Huitzlipochtli, the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer and Reproducer.

From Ophiolatreia An Account of the Rites and Mysteries Connected with the Origin, Rise, and Development of Serpent Worship in Various Parts of the World by Anonymous

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