What does "triad" mean?
A grouping of three.
Triad
/ˈtɹaɪ.æd/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A grouping of three.
- Grammar: triad is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: trio, triplet, 3, amebic.
- Useful contrasts: duad, dyad, individual.
- Usage evidence: According to Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams, the "dark triad" of personality traits consists of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
How to use "triad"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "triad" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "triad" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "triad" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "triad" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "triad" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "trio" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "triad", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A grouping of three.
"Later artworks showed many animals and gods, some of which were clearly identified with heavenly body. They often included the symbolic triad of Sun, Moon, and Venus."
- 2 a three-note major or minor chord; a note and its third and fifth tones wordnet
- 3 A word of three syllables.
"In his general deportment he was pompous and important, affecting a species of florid elocution, which often became ridiculous from his misarranging the triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sentences."
- 4 three people considered as a unit wordnet
- 5 A branch of a Chinese underground criminal society, mostly based in Hong Kong.
"The point — and the symbolism — was that so long as the informer kept his mouth shut he was alive. Harry had seen the result of zjuk carried out by the Tapei Triad on a poor jerk they found in a back street of Tan-shui. They had used broad nail heads that didn’t make such big holes on their way in. When the paramedics came and pulled the brick off the dead man, the face came with it."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a set of three similar things considered as a unit wordnet
- 7 On a CRT display, a group of three neighbouring phosphor dots, coloured green, red, and blue.
- 8 the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one wordnet
- 9 A chord consisting of a root tone, the tone two degrees higher, and the tone four degrees higher in a given scale OR any chord with three notes.
Antonyms
Example
"According to Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams, the "dark triad" of personality traits consists of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "triad"?
Common synonyms include: trio, triplet, 3, amebic, amoeba, arpeggio.
How do you use "triad" in a sentence?
According to Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams, the "dark triad" of personality traits consists of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
How do you pronounce "triad"?
Pronounced /ˈtɹaɪ.æd/.
Etymology
PIE word *tréyes From Latin triad-, stem of trias (“three, triad”), from Ancient Greek τριάς (triás). By surface analysis, tri- + -ad. Sense 3 (“branch of a Chinese underground criminal society”) is due to the word being applied by the British authorities to underground society in Hong Kong based on the geometry of the Chinese character, derived from a name used by some of those societies, 三合會 /三合会 (sānhéhuì, “Three Harmonies Society”), referring to the union between heaven, earth, and humanity.