trinomial

1 of 2

noun

tri·​no·​mi·​al trī-ˈnō-mē-əl How to pronounce trinomial (audio)
1
: a polynomial of three terms
2
: a biological taxonomic name of three terms of which the first designates the genus, the second the species, and the third the subspecies or variety

trinomial

2 of 2

adjective

1
: consisting of three mathematical terms
2
: of, relating to, or being a biological trinomial

Examples of trinomial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
How necessary is intermediate algebra, a high school-level course on factoring trinomials, graphing exponential functions and memorizing formulas that most non-math or science students will rarely use in everyday life or for the rest of college? Rosanna Xia, latimes.com, 30 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

tri- + -nomial (as in binomial)

First Known Use

Noun

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trinomial was in 1674

Dictionary Entries Near trinomial

Cite this Entry

“Trinomial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trinomial. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

trinomial

1 of 2 noun
tri·​no·​mi·​al trī-ˈnō-mē-əl How to pronounce trinomial (audio)
: a polynomial that has three terms

trinomial

2 of 2 adjective
: consisting of three mathematical terms

Medical Definition

trinomial

1 of 2 noun
tri·​no·​mi·​al trī-ˈnō-mē-əl How to pronounce trinomial (audio)
: a trinomial name

trinomial

2 of 2 adjective
1
: being a name belonging to botanical or zoological nomenclature composed of a first term designating the genus, a second term designating the species, and a third term designating the subspecies or variety to which an organism belongs
2
: of or relating to trinomials
trinomial nomenclature
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!