third dimension

noun

1

: thickness, depth

also : a dimension that adds the effect of solidity to a two-dimensional system

2

: a quality that confers reality or lifelikeness

night sounds that stick in the mind and give a third dimension to the memory

—Adie Suehsdorf

third-dimensional

ˈthərd- də-ˈmen(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of third dimension in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Goode later moved fully into the third dimension, creating a series of sculptural pieces that resemble stairs that can be set in corners or against walls. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The third dimension of good stress is the duration. —Sharon Horesh Bergquist, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025

But scientists have motivations, too, and policymakers must keep in mind this critical third dimension of nuclear programs' efficiency. —Jacques E. C. Hymans, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2012

Across astronomy, measuring this deepness in the sky adds a third dimension of distance (and of time, thanks to light’s finite speed) onto our otherwise flat maps of the universe. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for third dimension

• apprehension
• comprehension
• condescension
• hypertension
• hypotension
• reinvention
• reprehension
• resuspension
• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension