trichotomy

American  

[trih-kot-uh-mee] / trɪˈkɒt ə mi /

noun

plural

trichotomies

1. division into three parts, classes, categories, etc.

2. an instance of such a division, as in thought, structure, or object.

3. the three-part division of human beings into body, spirit, and soul.

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trichotomy British  

/ ˌtrɪkəˈtɒmɪk, traɪˈkɒtəmɪ /

noun

1. division into three categories

2. theol the division of man into body, spirit, and soul

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Other Word Forms

• trichotomic adjective
• trichotomous adjective
• trichotomously adverb

Etymology

Origin of trichotomy

1600–10; < New Latin trichotomia < Greek trích ( a ) in three parts + New Latin -tomia -tomy

Example Sentences

As agonizing as this emergency decision would be, the setup plays like a false trichotomy, compounded by ancillary ironies contrived for dramatic purposes.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2021

Typical Connectives but, while, however, nonetheless, yet despite, even though One other major coherence relation doesn’t easily fit into Hume’s trichotomy, attribution: so-and-so believes such-and-such.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Valentinus avails himself of the notion of the trichotomy of human nature, and gives a place for the bulk of Christians, those who did not embrace Gnosticism; cf.

From A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Ayer, Joseph Cullen

With these views agree the later doctrines of the Bible as to the "trichotomy" of "body, soul, and spirit" in man, and of the added influence of the Spirit of God as acting on humanity.

From The Origin of the World According to Revelation and Science by Dawson, John William

Trisection -- N. trisection, tripartition†, trichotomy; third, third part.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark