triad

noun

tri·​ad ˈtrī-ˌad 

 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

trī-ˈa-dik 

adjective

triadically

trī-ˈa-di-k(ə-)lē 

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.

Synonyms

• threesome
• trifecta
• trinity
• trio
• triple
• triplet
• triumvirate

Examples of triad in a Sentence

a triad of candlesticks on the mantel

Recent Examples on the Web

People with dark triad traits are often manipulative and lack empathy. —Stephanie Booth, Health, 30 Mar. 2024

Pig-butchering scams are almost without exception run by triad gangs who set up on China’s periphery, where the transnational nature of the crime, fuzzy jurisdiction and venal local authorities make cases difficult to prosecute. —TIME, 21 Mar. 2024

The trio took a nearly decade-long hiatus in the 2000s, with the triad subsequently becoming a duo after Weiss’s exit. —Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024

Set in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley, the eight-episode debut season starred Yeoh as Eileen, the matriarch of a family of Taipei gangsters who plots her rise as the head of a powerful triad following an assassination attempt against her estranged husband. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024

An assassination attempt against their father, known as Big Sun (Johnny Kou), brings Charles from Taipei to Los Angeles to protect his family from enemies of a triad that his own mother (Yeoh) has a past with. —Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2024

This voyage is underscored by an unexpected triad: the majestic Smoky Mountains, the humble mushroom, and a supercomputer. —Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024

But the most impressive is first-time writer-director Molly Manning Walker getting us not just to forgive her central triad their brash and brainless bravado but to grieve for it when it’s gone. —Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024

So a book that tackles the mind-boggling triad of physics, consciousness and artificial intelligence might be expected to provide little more than intellectual titillation. —Julian Baggini, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

triad

noun

tri·​ad ˈtrī-ˌad 

 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

trī-ˈad-ik 

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

trī-ˈad-ik 

adjective