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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

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

This will provide needed targeting flexibility and increase the value of the most ready and responsive leg of our triad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

But the land-based part of the triad is actually the opposite of deterrence — it’s an invitation to be attacked.

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2024

Write a triad in root position using each root given.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

The case to replace the entire Triad with new weapons began with an act of deception.

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

The third power or principle in the Triad is Intellect, or Spirit of the Universe.

From The Christ Of Paul Or, The Enigmas of Christianity by George Reber

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

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

For example Martin Scorcese's film The Departed was a remake of Infernal Affairs, a Hong Kong film about triads.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2019

All triads are transformed in some way if the root in the bass line is not the same as the bottom note of the triad.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• triumvirate