triad

noun

tri·​ad ˈtrī-ˌad How to pronounce triad (audio)
 also  -əd
1
: a union or group of three : trinity
2
: a chord of three tones consisting of a root with its third and fifth and constituting the harmonic basis of tonal music
triadic adjective
triadically adverb

Did you know?

The best-known type of triad is a type of musical chord consisting of three notes. A D-major triad is made up of the notes D, F-sharp, and A; an F-minor triad is made up of F, A-flat, and C; and so on. Major and minor triads form the basis of tonal music, and songs and other pieces usually end with a triadic harmony. In medicine, a triad is a set of three symptoms that go together. The Chinese criminal organizations called triads got their name from the triangular symbol that they used back when they began, centuries ago, as patriotic organizations. Today, with over 100,000 members, the triads operate in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries.

Examples of triad in a Sentence

a triad of candlesticks on the mantel
Recent Examples on the Web In a triad, two people are always closer and risk icing out the third. Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2024 In the book the film is based on, the protagonist is a triad member who’s from Hong Kong. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Each piece of the triad has a role: Coaches coach, swimmers swim and parents provide transportation, funds and hugs. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2024 Should one leg of the triad fail, one of the other two will prevail. Matthew Gault, WIRED, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for triad 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'triad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin triad-, trias, from Greek, from treis three

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of triad was in 1546

Dictionary Entries Near triad

Cite this Entry

“Triad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triad. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

triad

noun
tri·​ad ˈtrī-ˌad How to pronounce triad (audio)
 also  -əd
1
: a union or group of three usually closely related persons or things
2
: a chord made up usually of the first, third, and fifth notes of a scale
triadic adjective

Medical Definition

triad

noun
tri·​ad
ˈtrī-ˌad also -əd
1
: a union or group of three
a triad of symptoms
2
: a trivalent element, atom, or radical
triadic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on triad

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